Beauty of the Dark
by Unforgettable.Love
Summary: Things aren't going the way Taylor Gilbert thought they would. She's got an original convinced he can have her. The boy she both loved and hated, who turned out to be a witch, is dead. And not mention she's constantly got Damon Salvatore on her mind. D/OC
1. Chapter 1: Hope and Magic

**Hello everyone!  
>This is the debut of the sequel to Piercing Blue Eyes!<br>It was, admittedly, very hard to write this. I know you're probably wanting more Damon/Taylor interaction. Don't worry! It'll come soon!  
>Also, Disclaimer time:<br>I do not own Vampire Diaries in any way, shape, or form. Nor do I own the song Beauty of the Dark, which is the title of this story.  
>Enjoy the story and let me know what you think!<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1:<span>  
><em>Hope and Magic<em>

* * *

><p>There are a lot of things that can happen when all hope is seemingly lost. Nothing seems to matter – nothing regains its relevance. Crazy things are done.<p>

But those crazy things always come back to haunt you. Sometimes it only takes a few hours.

Taylor Gilbert sat frozen in a pile of blood unmoving like she had been for the past six hours. The blood was not her own. It was the blood of Jace, the boy – the_ witch –_ she had loved, though that seemed like a fairytale from long ago. But it was not just his. His blood was mixed with blood she had spilled from Klaus' neck – the ominous vampire who had captured her and killed Jace.

The blood had begun to dry, though it clung to Taylor for dear life. She made no move to clean herself. The guilt of what she'd done – though it had been warranted by Klaus' actions – clung to her more powerfully. The young vampire knew she had done what anyone else would have done – attacking the person that meant her harm. Yet, somehow, it didn't feel right.

It didn't feel right because Klaus had wanted her to do that.

He wanted her to feel so powerless that she succumbed to the vampire instinct within her that made her a monster.

And he had succeeded in doing just that.

Klaus was so sure of what he had done – so satisfied with things – that he had left the house hours ago, without so much as a word of warning to the young vampire. At any other time she would have ran for the door. She would have tried to find someway to get out, even though the compulsion would prevent her from doing so. The vampire would have at least tried. But she couldn't.

Even as the sound of the front door swinging open and the struggling of a young person reached her ears, she did not move.

Soon enough Klaus came into view, a boy held in his hands, thrashing and fighting to get free, though it was to no avail. Not even Taylor could fight him and win and _she_ was a vampire. What surprised her most was _who_ the boy was.

It wasn't that she knew the boy – who looked to be in his late teens – at least not _exactly_. It was that he was the first boy she had fed on in Mystic Falls. There may have been no correlation between the two situations, but it was enough to snap Taylor out of her thoughts as she sprang into a standing position.

The boy – A_lex,_ if she remembered his name right – looked terrified. His black hair was a disheveled mess and his green eyes were filled with tears. It probably didn't help that there was blood dripping from Taylor's clothes and body. And her mouth.

"What is this?" She forced out, keeping the confusion she felt to herself.

Klaus simply smiled, tossing the boy at her feet. He looked up at her with the most horrified look on his face.

"I thought you might be hungry."

"Well I'm not, so let him go."

She _was_ hungry, actually. The irritating itch at the back of her throat from the lack of blood was starting up and it would have felt so incredible to sink her teeth into the boy's neck, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction this time around.

"No use in wasting," he said nonchalantly, kneeling by the boy in an instant.

"Stop!"

His expectant eyes met hers.

"Well?"

Taylor bent down until her eyes met Alex's. She'd never felt bad about wanting to feed off a human, but she had never fed off a human to _kill_ in a long time. Yet, something told her that leaving him to Klaus would be a far more terrifying punishment.

Alex gulped – she could hear it, _feel_ it. It was always like this when she was hungry. All the instincts kicked in and she could feel everything about her victim. Taylor could feel just how scared the boy was and she knew that he was going over every moment of his life in his head. That he was reliving the moments he would never get again – seeing the people he would never see. And she was the monster that was going to end his life.

The bloody and frightening monster.

A feeling of nausea rushed over her as she thought of Elena and what she would do if it were her in this situation. Her sisterly instinct took over, overpowering the vampire instinct to kill.

"I won't kill him," she hissed, scooping the boy into her arms, bringing his frightened body to her chest. He thrashed around, unsure of everything around him, but he relaxed at her words and the soothing hand motions she made against his rigid back.

Klaus spoke as if it were a simple situation.

"Then I will."

"I won't let you."

"You have no choice."

"If you kill him, I'll make your life a living hell."

"You don't have that kind of power, my dear."

Taylor hissed at his words, causing the boy to jump in surprise in her arms. Her eyes narrowed in a glare, though it only caused the vampire standing in front of her to smirk.

"You plan on keeping me by your side forever. That is a _long_ time to try."

It was almost an empty threat. There was no way she would get enough power to do anything of harm to him. And he knew that. As she would grow stronger, so would he. It would forever be an unchanging cycle. But the need to try was there.

"Suck him dry or I will. And I will not be gentle about it," He threatened.

Taylor's eyes were wide – there was nothing she could do. She understood that, but Alex didn't and he wouldn't, either. Who would listen to reasoning when their life hung by a thread?

After one last, stupidly hopeful look toward Klaus, she knew it had to be done. Taylor forced Alex to look into her eyes, ready to do something that made her feel sick.

"Alex," she murmured, catching his attention.

"How do you know my name?"

"We met before."

"R-really?"

"You don't remember, it was a while ago. At the grill in the parking lot."

"Oh," he said, but he didn't remember. He had been compelled not to.

Klaus watched the interaction between the vampire and the human with interest riddled in his eyes. He hadn't expected the situation to go like this. He'd expected her to rip his throat out in the hunger she was suffering from. Taylor had lost quite a bit of blood from the amount of times he had stabbed her and the length of time the stake had been in her back. Yet she somehow found a way to keep from becoming the savage Klaus wanted her to be.

"I need to kill you," she whispered and the boy immediately started thrashing, screaming that he didn't want to die.

"Shhh," Taylor muttered, once again forcing his eyes to hers. She needed to compel him. "Stop this. You are going to be perfectly fine, do you understand? You are going to die but it will be over quickly. Nothing else matters."

Alex nodded his head. That was it.

Taylor tiled his neck to the side, plunging her lips to his throat, her fangs piercing through his soft skin causing a surprised and pain filled gasp to escape his lips. As soon as the blood hit the back of her throat, she realized how hungry she was. It wasn't hard to get lost in the warmth that it brought and the satisfaction it made her feel. Soon she was greedily sucking, wanting more and more with each drop that entered her mouth and slid down her throat.

This was what Klaus wanted and he watched in satisfaction as she transformed before him. The emotion he often noticed was devoid from her features. In its place was the vampire instinct to feed and kill.

When the last drop of blood had been sucked from the boy, who lay limp in her arms, Taylor released her grip. His body fell to floor in a loud thump, snapping her out of her daze. What she had done came rushing back with such a force it caused her to gasp.

It had been so easy to push it all aside and to focus on the blood.

It was so easy for her to kill that it scared her.

* * *

><p>Damon Salvatore could only take so many things happening at once in stride before he began to loose it.<p>

After Taylor had rushed off the night before the founder's day celebration and what actually happened at the celebration, with the Gilbert device being activated and almost getting killed, the realization that Katherine was most definitely _not_ dead set him on edge. He'd left the hospital the second he found out, half expecting Katherine to be waiting on the steps of the boarding house to torment it. He hoped he'd find Taylor waiting there instead.

All that was waiting for him was an empty house.

Something about Taylor running off made him uneasy. It wasn't like she hadn't done it before – she had and he'd followed her. This time felt different for whatever reason he couldn't grasp. It didn't help that he felt guilty – yes, Damon Salvatore felt _guilty_ – for what he had said before she left.

Annoyed with all the emotions running through him, Damon picked up a glass filled with some kind of alcohol (he didn't care _what_ kind it was) and gulped it down. There was a warm sensation as the liquid poured down his throat, but it brought him no comfort.

And just when things couldn't get any worse, Stefan called.

"Damon."

"Yes, brother? To what do I owe this wonderful call?"

"Stop playing games," Stefan sighed. He could tell his brother was upset and he would deal with it later. To him, there were more important things to focus on at the moment. "Katherine's not dead."

Damon's answer was plain and simple. "I know."

It seemed to surprise his brother.

"What do you mean you know?"

"I figured it out."

"Why didn't you tell me? Or Elena? This is important, Damon! This isn't some kind of game –"

"Well you know now, brother, so what do you want?"

"Come to Elena's house. We need to talk about this."

"Do we really?"

Annoyance was clearly laced in Damon's voice. He had his own problems to worry about. He didn't need to be dragged deeper into other problems. Stefan could handle Katherine for one day, couldn't he? But Katherine did know Taylor and it had been Taylor who'd said she hadn't died. If there was the slightest possibility the vampire would show up and give him a clue, he'd go, because Taylor had managed to get so deep into his skin that she made him _feel_.

"_Damon_ just come here. We don't have time to argue –"

"I'm on my way."

Damon snapped his phone shut, pushing it into his back pocket before he left the house in a blur. With his speed it didn't take long to get to Elena's. He knew he'd probably end up with a headache by the time he left, but he hoped it would be worth it.

"What do we need to talk about now," He called into the house, finding Elena and Stefan sitting in the living room, mirrored looks of worry on their faces.

"Taylor was right," Stefan answered, the guilt he felt plastered on his face. "Katherine is alive and we need to do something about it."

"And what exactly _can_ we do?" Damon asked, plopping down on the couch, his arms folded across his chest and an emotionless look on his face. "She survived being burned to death, I don't think we can just up and kill her."

It was Elena that spoke next, shocking Damon out of his emotionless reserve. "How did you know Katherine was alive?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does," she argued.

"How did you know, Damon?" Stefan asked. "You were so sure the other day that Katherine was dead."

"I knew because Elena told me Taylor hadn't come back yet."

The two were confused. "That makes no sense."

The Salvatore being questioned sighed, knowing he would have to tell them or he'd be pestered by their questions until they found out.

"I came here last night."

"After the celebration?"

Damon nodded his head.

"Why?"

"I wanted to see Taylor."

"You wanted to apologize," Elena muttered, loud enough for the two vampires to hear. "And she was here. Then you asked me at the hospital if Taylor was coming and when I told you she hadn't come back yet, you realized it was Katherine you had seen, not Taylor."

Once again the Salvatore nodded his head. He was standing and ready to go in an instant.

"Now I've got some business to take care of."

"You're not going to make her come back any sooner or find out where she is by doing things alone, Damon."

"And what makes you think that's the business I need to take care of?"

The challenge was there. Damon stared down at the young girl, wondering what she would say next.

"You can try to hide it, but you care for her."

It wasn't the accusation that shocked him – he knew that he cared for Taylor, he knew it in the way she made him _feel_ – it was the way that Elena said it. She spoke in such a blatant and certain way like she knew she was right and no one would change that. It was the same way Taylor talked whenever she argued with him.

_God_.

Everything seemed to find its way back to the girl who hadn't come back.

Taylor managed to get under his skin and into his brain even when she wasn't around. Damon Salvatore knew he needed to find her. Her being away was going to drive him insane.

* * *

><p>Taylor Gilbert looked down at the piece of scrap paper she'd managed to find lying around the empty room. Her handwriting had been rushed, sprawling across the page in a desperate manner. It read:<p>

_Damon,_

_I'm trapped and I don't know where I am._

_Someone named Klaus has me. He killed Jace. He made _me_ kill someone._

_I need you._

_Taylor._

If Damon got the letter, surely he would try to find her and save her. But there was one major problem with her plan: she had no way of getting it to him. She was trapped in Klaus' house in God knows where with no means of contacting _anyone_.

Taylor's eyes fluttered to the pool of dry blood to her right. The spot where Jace had died. If he were still alive, he would have been able to use his powers to get the letter to Damon – that is, if he had wanted to. But there was no hope in that, either. Jace was dead.

_Believe in the power I gave you._

Jace's words stung her ears, confusion flooding her. What had Jace been talking about? What power had he given her? The power he had as witch? Taylor shook her head, unsure if that was even possible. How could someone transfer their power to another person? She wasn't even a witch – she was a vampire.

Still, the possibility filled her with hope.

"I don't know how this works," she muttered, softly.

Once the words left her lips, her eyes widened. Klaus was still in the house. She'd made a stupid, stupid mistake! If he wasn't listening before, he was listening now. She had very little time to figure out how to do what she wanted to do.

Hoping it would come easily, she held her hand out over the folded piece of paper, palm down. She closed her eyes, wishing the paper would disappear and appear at wherever Damon was. When she opened her eyes, disappointment fluttered. The letter was still there.

Taylor tried again, this time leaving her eyes open.

"_Disappear_," she hissed.

Slowly, the paper began to lift from the bed, toppling over itself in the air. It wasn't disappearing yet, but it was doing something. Hope filled Taylor with such a force that she had to keep herself from screaming.

It just needed a little more power to make it happen.

Taylor renewed her focus and let out an excited scream as it began to disappear right before her eyes. Just as the last of the letter was fading, the door to her room swung open violently, a now outraged Klaus filling its space. His eyes widened as he watched the last of the paper disappear and a smile rise on Taylor's face.

"What did you just do," he asked, his voice low and threatening.

The young vampire's eyes widened. She'd been caught. Though hope flooded her at the thought of Damon saving her, a deeper laced fear filled her: Klaus knew she could somehow do magic. If he wasn't going to loose her before, he definitely wasn't going to let her go now. Not without a fight.


	2. Chapter 2: The Rescue

Chapter 2:  
><em>The Rescue<em>

* * *

><p>"Call the witch now or <em>I<em> will."

Damon Salvatore's threatening voice boomed through the living room in the boarding house. His brother and Elena sat on the couch in front of him. Both wore mirrored looks of worry, though the vampire always wore a look of slight frustration.

"Damon, we need to think this through –"

"We don't have the time to sit around and think this through, brother. Call Bonnie or I will find her and drag her here."

Elena's sudden voice broke through their conversation. "Damon! Calm down. How do we know this is really from her?"

The vampire fell silent. How did he know it was from Taylor? Only minutes ago the letter had appeared out of thin air, dropping itself onto his lap silently. In it had been Taylor handwriting, sprawled across the page in a frenzy, asking Damon to help her. No, he didn't know for sure that it was from her – or how it would get to him even if it really was her – but it didn't matter. It was something and he was going to go with it whether or not Elena would help him.

"We don't."

It was as simple as that.

"And if we're walking into a trap? Damon, what if Taylor really is in some kind of trouble and we go rushing into this? What if it turns out to be a distraction and we can't help her?"

"Elena," Damon replied slowly, staring down at the surprisingly calm girl in front of him. "I will not wait around for something else to happen."

With those words, he turned on his heels, ready to walk away from the girl who apparently didn't care as much about her sister as he did. It was frustrating, actually, to Damon. He wanted nothing more than to through her across the room in a fit of anger. The lack of concern she seemed to show for her sister was amazing.

"You're not the only one who cares for her Damon!"

The vampire turned sharply, using his speed to appear in front of the now standing Gilbert.

"It sure as hell seems that way."

"Damon," Stefan warned, standing to protectively hold Elena's arm.

"Relax brother. I'm not going to hurt her. I have other things to do."

"Bonnie won't help you," Elena pushed. She knew she was right.

"Then I'll find another witch."

It was definitely an interesting sight for Elena Gilbert, who had never seen Damon show such strong emotions for someone other than himself. He seemed entirely focused on finding Taylor and it appeared to be honest feelings.

"I'll call Bonnie. I'll see if she can locate Taylor."

* * *

><p>Taylor felt stupid.<p>

Actually, stupid was a bit of an understatement to how she felt.

The second Klaus saw what she had done he'd pieced it together. He was on her in less than a second, holding her arms down, demanding to know what had just happened in his low and threatening voice. She'd refused to speak, holding her breath with the expectation that he would strike her.

It was a surprise when he jumped off, turning around and disappearing into the hallway. For a second, she thought things were changing. That she would somehow be able to get out of there without anyone's help.

Then he came back with a handful of chains, spikes poking out and glaring at her menacingly. Taylor had a feeling she'd be lucky to make it through the day alive.

The young vampire backed up, but it was pointless. Her back was against the wall before she could blink.

"Can't have you escaping now, can we?"

A shiver of fear ran down her spine at the sound of Klaus' voice.

A split second decision, she pushed off the wall, knocking Klaus down with the element of surprise. With the adrenaline rushing through her body, it was easy to run down the stairs, nearing the front door. Using all the will power she had in her, Taylor thrust her hands forward, forcing the doors to open. They burst open, slamming against the walls outside the house.

She could do this.

All she had to do was reach the door. If she wanted it hard enough she would be able to get out. Jace's magic would let her.

Taylor closed her eyes, her ears listening to the minute sounds that bounced off the floor as she ran. The door was within inches before she was thrown back against the stairs, her back slamming hard against the railing, cracking through the wood. A few pieces broke off, stabbing her deeply in the back, one piece just barely missing her heart.

"You can't get away that easily, my dear."

Though the pain was immense, she glared at the vampire before her, a look of pure hatred on her face. "Don't call me _dear_."

In a flash he was standing in front of her, the chains now dangling by her head as he held his hand near her. "I will call you whatever I want. Now let's get you comfortable."

Klaus' grip was tight around her arm as he ripped her from the railing, forcing her down to the ground. Taylor watched with horror filled eyes as he untangled the chains. It was a terrifying thing to watch someone threaten you when you have no way of defending yourself. The only thing that made it worse was the sudden smell that hit her nose just as he pulled a bottle from his back.

"That smell," she hissed, scrunching her nose at the burning sensation.

"This?" He smirked, holding the bottle closer to her face. "Vervain. It _should_ keep you weak enough to keep your little witchy powers under control."

"W-what? What do you mean keep me under control?"

The fear she felt leaked into her voice, betraying her.

"I can't have you using your powers to escape now, can I? This vervain," Klaus said, dipping the spikes in the chains in the liquid, unfazed as it touched his skin. "Will keep you weak enough to prevent you from trying anything. Speaking of powers, how _did_ you get them?"

Taylor didn't speak. Even if she had wanted to tell him she wouldn't have known what to say. Maybe Jace had given her his powers, but then again, maybe he hadn't.

Frustrated with her silence, the vampire grabbed the chains, clamping the ends around her wrists and ankles. The ends like bracelets held the spikes – dipped in vervain and _very_ sharp, piercing her skin every time she moved even the slightest. The last piece lay on the floor near her hip. Noticing that her gaze fell upon it, he picked it up.

"I don't think you'll be doing much moving with this around your neck."

Klaus clamped it shut around her neck, like a choker, the spikes piercing her skin sending a violent burst of pain through her body.

She screamed. "Take it off!"

But the screaming only made it worse. The sudden jerking of her head sent the spikes deep into the right side of her neck, causing her to once again scream out in agony.

The vampire simply smiled. "Why would I do that? You'll have to learn to be obedient. I may as well start the training now."

He got up to leave, a sadistically satisfied look on his face.

"Where are you going," Taylor hissed, her face twisted in pain.

"Out," he simply replied, reaching the door and turning to send a menacing smile her way. "I've got some business to take care of. Something your witch friend failed to do for me."

Taylor was beyond confused. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't know anything or even who this _Klaus_ was. Maybe it was the fact that there was three pieces of very sharp wood stuck in her lower back. Then again, it _may_ have been the vervain leaking in through her wounds that was making her unfocused.

"What? What are you talking about? What didn't Jace do?"

Her questions were futile – they went unanswered. The older vampire simply turned and sped out of the house, the doors slamming shut behind him.

"KLAUS! COME BACK HERE," Taylor screamed, ignoring the pain that shot through her as the spikes continuously tore her skin open. "TAKE THESE OFF!"

* * *

><p>Bonnie had arrived at the Salvatore house a little less than ten minutes ago and was still trying to wrap her mind around the situation.<p>

"Taylor's missing and some guy, _Klaus_, took her? How do we even know this isn't some trap?"

Damon sighed for what may have been the millionth time since the conversation started. "We don't. Just find her."

"And if it _is_ a trap Damon? I care about Taylor just as much as you do, but I will not risk everyone's lives."

"Then I'll go after her by myself. Just find her."

"I'm going too," Elena butted in, a determined look on her face.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Stefan tried to argue, but he wouldn't win. Elena had made up her mind and much like Taylor, they wouldn't be able to change it.

"She's my sister, Stefan. I'm not going to sit back and wait. Damon's right."

"Damon and I will you go. You should stay here with Bonnie. It's safer."

"I'm going," she answered, before turning to face Bonnie. "Can you find her?"

"I think I can. I need the letter, though."

Elena held the letter limply in her hand, holding it out to Bonnie, praying that the witch would be able to find her sister. It may have been all the worry that exuded off of Damon, but Elena felt the deepest gut feeling that Taylor was hurt.

Bonnie grabbed the letter. Sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and her eyes closed, she began to mutter words that no one their understood. The candles they had set up around the living room began to flicker, growing stronger with each second that passed.

It was only seconds, but it felt like an eternity to the three before Bonnie opened her eyes again.

"I know where she is."

"Where?"

"I'll take you there."

Damon was beyond peeved. He'd been putting up with everyone today to find Taylor, but he could only handle so much. "_Just tell me where she is Bonnie._"

"I don't know exactly."

Stefan, confused, spoke up. "Then how are we supposed to find her? We can't just wander around. She could be anywhere."

His words discouraged Elena, who sent an anxious glance at her best friend, hoping there would be some way.

Bonnie's reply came instantaneously. "I can feel her."

"You can feel her," Elena asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't explain it. It's never been like this before, but I can feel where she is. I'll know if we're getting close. But we need to hurry."

"That's what I've been saying this entire time," Damon said angrily.

Bonnie was serious. There was no smart remark at the vampire. Nothing.

"Bonnie? What aren't you telling us?" Elena asked, aware that there was something her friend was hiding.

The witched sent a sad glance in her direction. "She's hurt – really bad. I can _feel _it."

* * *

><p>There were no words to explain the amount of pain that rushed through Taylor's body. She had given up on trying a few minutes after Klaus left the house. Every time she tried to move, a spike would pierce her skin and the vervain would make her weaker and in more pain. Even trying magic put strain on her already weak body. All the energy she had was seemingly gone, leaving her lying limp on the floor, trying to contain her breaths as everyone caused her pain.<p>

Klaus was dead if he ever came back and unchained her.

She would do whatever she could to kill the bastard.

Just as she was falling into unconsciousness from the vervain and the wounds, she felt something. It was so strong that it forced her to prop her head up to stare at the door, despite the jolt of pain. No one was there. There were no sounds. But she'd felt it.

Something inside her told her that they were coming. There had been a feeling – a feeling that felt like magic, a tingling sensation that she had gotten only once before: when she'd sent the letter to Damon.

Lying on the floor with her hands limp at her sides, blood pooling from her many wounds, she felt like rejoicing at the sound of car tires.

Klaus hadn't used a car. It was someone else.

Taylor opened her mouth to speak, but struggled to get words out.

"_H-help. H-help!"_

There was footsteps – rushed and frantic.

"_Damon?"_ Her voice was hopeful, but struggled.

The door burst open, filling her eyes with such a sudden light that she clamped them shut. There were gasps and more footsteps. The young vampire refused to open her eyes until one voice reached her ears.

"Taylor? I got your letter. Bonnie, Elena get these off her."

The young vampire watched through barely opened eyes as Damon turned his head to command the girls. A small smile formed on her lips. She never thought she'd ever be happy to hear his commanding voice again.

"Why can't you just rip them off?" Elena's voice asked.

"Their laced with vervain," Stefan answered.

"Get out of the way," Bonnie demanded.

Taylor watched in anxiety. All she wanted was out of the chains. Damon backed up, standing next to a worried Elena and Stefan. They all turned to stare at Bonnie who held her arms out in front of her, pointed at Taylor.

"This is going to hurt," she said. "The spikes are stuck in your body and they have to be pulled out."

The young vampire's eyes bulged, a lump forming at her throat. _No_, she wanted to shout. It was already painful, it didn't need to be worse. But she never had the chance. Almost like she could feel what Taylor felt, Bonnie muttered the spell, pulling the chains from her body, blood pooling out and an agonizing scream ripping from her throat.

Damon was by her side in a second.

"D-Damon," she choked out.

"Shh," he whispered, with surprising kindness, an unfamiliar glint of caring in his eyes. "You've lost a lot of blood. Don't try to talk."

With that he scooped her up in his arms, her head resting limply against his chest. Taylor could feel the concern from every one and she knew they wanted to say something, but the fear that they would stress her more kept them quiet. Bonnie and the others went out first, waiting on the porch for Damon to follow. The second his feet reached the door he froze.

"What's wrong, Damon?" Elena asked, worry still laced on her face.

"I can't come out."

It was Stefan's turn to speak up. "What?"

"I can't leave," he snapped, frustrated. They come all this way and find her and they can't leave with her?

Taylor wiggled in Damon's grasp, forcing him to put her down. Though it was a struggle, she managed to stand on her feet, using the door as a crutch to keep her from falling to the floor. Her voice came out soft and forced when she spoke.

"Go through the door."

"Taylor –"

"Just do it!"

He did as he was told, crossing the door with ease.

"I'm compelled to stay in," Taylor spoke, answering the question that they all were thinking. She seemed unemotional, her body numb from the trauma. "I can't leave."

"Do something," Damon yelled, turning to face Bonnie.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know a spell for this."

It wasn't like she didn't want to help. It was that she couldn't, though that didn't ease Damon's mind one bit. He snapped, lunging at the girls throat, his hands clasped tightly around it restricting her air flow.

"_Try_."

Knowing that his emotions were getting the better of him, Stefan pulled his brother off the witch, taking him to end of the stairs before letting him go. Just in case, he stayed near him, watching out of the corner of his eyes his brother's actions.

"I'm not sure this will work," Bonnie started, moving to stand in front of Taylor. "Hold on, okay?"

Taylor nodded her head. She was up for anything at that point.

Bonnie's eyes closed and her hands extended, pressed up against the open space as if it were an invisible door. She muttered words that no one understood and opened her eyes only to see that nothing had changed. Frustrated, she tried again. And again. But nothing happened each time. The compulsion was too strong for her to break.

Her hands dropped to her side as she sent an apologetic glance at Taylor. "It won't break."

Elena's worried voice broke the silence that followed. "Is there anything else we can do? We can't just leave her in there!"

"Elena…"

"Don't Elena me, Stefan! Look at her! She's barely alive. We can't just leave her here."

"I'll stay," Damon interrupted, his voice loud and serious.

Taylor's eyes widened, but she didn't speak.

"What?"

"I'll stay here, Elena."

"Whoever did this to Taylor had to be strong, Damon. You're risking your life if you stay here alone."

"That doesn't matter. I'm not leaving her here like this."

They continued to argue about it in front of her, though Taylor had no say in the matter. She wouldn't have them stay. If there was no way she could leave she would at least make sure they were safe. There was one thing she hadn't tried.

Taylor pushed herself off the wall. She staggered a bit before regaining balance, using the last of her energy to keep herself up. She managed to extend her hands in the same way Bonnie had earlier before any of them noticed what she was doing.

"Taylor? What are you doing?"

The words never fazed the young vampire. She closed her eyes, focusing all her energy against the barrier. She could feel the energy pulsing through her hands and her fingertips, leaving her body and disappearing. She focused on the barrier, on the compulsion, and she focused on trying to break it. To be free.

A sudden jolt of energy left her body, forcing her eyes open. Her hands dropped to her sides and she stumbled forward, out of the house. Before any rejoicing could be done she fell forward, Damon catching her before she hit the floor.

There was silence in the air around them.

No one knew what just happened or how it did. All they knew was that Taylor had somehow managed to leave the house, though she was under the compulsion of Klaus, whoever he was. Though Bonnie had failed to get her out with her magic, Taylor had managed to do it on her own.

"Damon?" She called, her voice soft and fading.

He didn't say anything. Damon's eyes had never once left her face. He raised his hand to her cheek, bringing her gaze to his own.

Staring into his eyes, Taylor forgot what it was she wanted to say. A million thoughts rushed through her mind; a million emotions flooding her system. But none of it mattered. All that mattered was the amount of emotion she saw in his eyes – the _love_ that she never would have guessed existed there.

With a shaky hand, she grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him down to her. She paused, unsure, before throwing away all the inhibitions she had, her lips crashing onto his.

For a second everything disappeared. She didn't remember Jace or what happened with him. The time she'd spent trapped with Klaus faded away. All there was, was Damon Salvatore.

And she had the feeling that it was all she ever needed.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey There!<br>I know it was quite a wait until this chapter came out. To tell you the truth, it was really hard to write this. I had the plot all written out, but I couldn't get it into writing for some reason.  
>But I do hope you liked this! Review and let me know what you think! And what you think will happen next!<br>**


	3. Chapter 3: Skyscraper

_Note: If you feel like it, listen to Skyscraper by Demi Lovato. It's what I listened to while writing this!_

Chapter 3:  
><em>Skyscraper<em>

* * *

><p>They say that after trauma, a person's body can go into shock to protect it from the world. That's what Taylor felt like – like her body had gone into shock. Did the same principle of shock apply to vampires? Their bodies weren't exactly the same. It must have been a possibility as the minute the young vampire opened her eyes after she'd passed out, finding herself in a room that wasn't hers, she froze.<p>

Her breathing was normal, slow and even, though her eyes in wide saucers searched the room. Almost to quickly to comprehend her mind played back the past couple of days, cringing every time Klaus' face came into view. Of all the things that confused her, it was Klaus and his motives. Whoever he was, he wasn't good, but that left the lingering question of what _did_ he want? He'd made it pretty clear he wanted her.

"Hey… how are you doing?"

Taylor's head snapped up. Elena was at the door, peaking her head in, a reluctant look on her face. She hesitated before walking fully in, taking a seat next to her sister on the bed.

"This isn't a dream, is it?" Taylor asked, a silly hopefulness filling her.

Her twin shook her head, a frown on her face. "No… what happened to you?"

"Honestly? I don't even know where to start."

"Was it Jace?"

His name brought a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "No… no. It wasn't Jace. It was someone else."

"Who?"

"Some vampire named Klaus."

Elena's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Klaus?"

"I don't know who he is either."

"I think I know someone who would." Elena stood, reaching out and gently grabbing Taylor's hand. "I know you're exhausted, but we all need to talk."

Although it felt like an entirely bad idea, Taylor nodded her head and followed her sister out of the room. The young vampire wasn't sure where the next few minutes would go. There were a few things she felt like avoiding, actually. Like explaining how she'd managed to do magic and why she kissed Damon.

Unfortunately, the reached the others in a few minutes. Stefan, Damon and Bonnie were standing close together in the living room, serious looks plastered on their faces.

"Taylor," Bonnie exclaimed the moment she saw Taylor, running forward and embracing her in a tight hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Taylor forced a laugh, hugging her friend back. "Me too."

The two released each other as a silence fell upon the group. No one knew how to attack the situation. Taylor, though scared of going through everything once more, spoke up.

"We need to find Katherine."

"How did you know she was alive?"

"Honestly?" Taylor asked, folding her arms across her chest hesitantly. "I don't know. She came to me that night I left to go find Jace and confront him. And no one believed me, but I knew. Katherine's not one to die easily."

"Okay," Bonnie said.

The way she spoke told Taylor to be worried, because the way she spoke made it seem like there was something on her mind. The group exchanged looks, though Taylor's eyes were tightly held on Bonnie.

"But we need to talk about what happened… and how you got out of there."

The topic was one that the young vampire did _not _want to talk or even think about. She turned her back to the group and crossed the room, her shoulders shaking just the slightest at the memories. Taylor was, it seemed to most people, a strong and independent girl. But things aren't always what they seem. Though it shouldn't have fazed her to go through an ordeal like that, it did. And it was that fact that scared her – to think that Klaus had any power over her.

Elena's voice crossed the room in a worried whisper, speaking her name.

None of it reached her ears.

The young vampire remained still, unable to shake the fear that crept upon her. Damon's footsteps toward her fell unnoticed until his hand landed softly on her shoulder. She jumped, surprised by the sudden contact. The vampire turned her around, his eyes staring into hers with a love that seemed shocking coming from the vampire who always seemed so arrogant.

He didn't speak. Instead, in a surprising action to the group behind him, he pulled the girl into a gentle hug.

Taylor buried her head in his chest, amazed at how much Damon had changed since she'd met him. He was kinder now, gentler – with her, at least – and she needed the comfort that it brought.

"Taylor," his voice cooed, very unlike himself. His voice hummed in his chest, vibrating and sending a chill down Taylor's spine.

"He wants me."

"What?"

"Klaus? The vampire who had me. He said he wants me."

The comment made Damon stiff, his eyes hard in a glare. No one was going to take Taylor, especially some psychotic vampire.

"Who is Klaus?"

Taylor pulled away from Damon's chest slightly, leaving her arms wrapped around him. "I don't know. All I know is he's really strong. And he can compel other vampires."

"How _did _you get out, Taylor? I couldn't break the spell, but after you held your hands up and you _glowed_ you came out?"

"… Jace."

"Jace?"

"He's dead."

Elena gasped.

While the others looked relieved at the news, she knew how her sister felt for the boy. And she knew that once you feel that way, it always hurts.

"What does that have to do with you getting out," Damon questioned, impatient.

"He died because he gave something to me."

"His magic?"

"His magic."

"Is that even possible?"

Taylor shook her head, frustrated tears forming. "I don't know! All I know is that for some reason, he wants me. And if he didn't want me before, he sure as hell does now that I have this damn magic."

Damon decided to step in. Without so much as a word, he reached forward and grabbed Taylor's hand. With a determined pace, he gently pulled her out the door, ignoring the questions the other's shouted after the two. The vampire's pace slowed the second they were out of earshot, standing in the clearing in the forest.

"Damon?" Taylor asked as she stopped walking.

The vampire turned to face her, looking down at the frightened face of the girl who he had just risked his life for.

"Yes?"

"I'm supposed to be strong now. Katherine made me strong. I'm not supposed to let something like this get to me, but I'm scared. I'm really scared."

The fear in her voice brought an unfamiliar feeling out in Damon. A need to be the hero – to be the protector.

Damon put his hands gently on either side of her face. "I'm not letting _anyone_ near you."

Taylor smiled through the fear, just as his lips crashed down on hers. Her eyes fluttered shut, her arms wrapping around his neck as his hands slid down to her waist, bringing as close to him as he could.

That was what she needed.

She didn't need reassuring words that meant nothing. She didn't need magic – suddenly thrust upon her, putting her in more danger than she was before. What she needed was Damon. The one person who was secure in who he was and would do anything for her, even if it meant risking his life to save her.

She needed to guy she loved.

* * *

><p><em>Hi readers!<em>

It's been a while, hasn't it? Life has definitely made it difficult for me to have time to write, but I FINALLY got this chapter out. I do hope it at least works in holding you off until the next chapter comes out. I have an idea in mind, but nothing is written yet. Bear with me, please. I will try my best!

_I hope you liked this chapter, even though it is short. Let me know what you thought.  
><em>


	4. Chapter 4: Misguided Ghosts

Chapter 4:  
><em>Misguided Ghosts<em>

* * *

><p>"You're pretty tired, little one."<p>

Taylor and Damon lay awake on his bed, her head rested comfortably on his chest. Her eyes slowly opened, fighting the sleep that wanted to take over. It had been a tough couple of days and being there in bed with Damon, finally able to relax, allowed her body to realize the trauma it had undergone.

"I know… I didn't realize it either."

The Salvatore brother raised his hand and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her left ear. As a content sigh escaped Taylor's lips, he spoke.

"You have all the time to rest."

As good as that sounded, she found it hard to believe. There was something strangely foreign about the idea of having time to rest. Everything that had happened since she'd been back suggested that there was no such thing as peace. Still, she sighed contentedly and gazed up.

Though she should have been surprised, she wasn't and it confused her. Rather than seeing Damon, whom she remembered being with, she faced Klaus. Taylor expected a cold fear to sweep through her body – a feeling that screamed for her to get up and run as fast as she could. Yet, neither happened. The young girl felt contented and safe.

"I told you, you are mine, Taylor."

As soon as those words left his lips, Taylor sprang up in bed, a scream managing to rip its way out of her throat. Hands encircled her from behind as she continued to scream, thrashing around to free herself.

"Taylor. Taylor, it's me. Calm down."

As Damon's voice reached her ears, she snapped her head around. She was met with his worried eyes and a concerned look plastered on his face. Though she could see him physically, she didn't trust it. She sprang up, freeing herself from his arms, rushing to the other side of the room.

"S-stay where you are!"

Cautiously, he stood. "Taylor?"

"Stop," she yelled, holding her hands outstretched in front of her, her body trembling with fear.

"What's wrong?"

"Just stop!"

Footsteps echoed in her ears – someone was running up the steps. She tried to focus, afraid that everything was not what it seemed.

A few seconds later Stefan and Elena popped their heads in.

"What's going on?"

The question was directed at Damon, who turned to glare at his brother for thinking this was somehow his fault.

Damon turned to face them, though his peripheral vision remained locked on Taylor, "She woke up screaming."

"Taylor," Elena's soft voice questioned. "Are you okay?"

"No!" She screamed, her arms lowering to her sides. A wind began to rush around the room, though there was no open window. "He was here!"

"Who was?"

"_Klaus!_"

Taylor was frantic. Tears streamed down her face in floods as her body shook from the fear that filled her very core. Had it been Klaus in the room? Or had he simply invaded her dreams? Either way frightened her more than she wished it would.

"Klaus," Damon asked, angrily. His hands clenched at their sides at the thought of him in her dreams.

"You were you and then _he_ was you!"

Elena and Stefan were confused. "He was Damon?"

"He changed my dreams! He was holding me with my head on his chest – he called me his."

The wind in the room picked up. The lighter things placed around the room began to lift up. The more frantic she became, the more the wind picked up. The other's shared glances, knowing it was her that caused the wind, but there were more important things on their minds.

"Taylor," Stefan said, trying to be the voice of reason. "We're going to figure this out and we'll get him to leave you alone."

The young vampire turned to face Stefan, the tears still falling. She spoke in a frightened but sure voice, "He is never going to leave me alone. Not until he's dead."

"He's going to die," Damon spat, quickly turning and running to the door. He stopped, turning around to face Taylor. He gave her a soft and reassuring look before disappearing out of the room and soon, out of the house.

"Damon," she screamed, rushing to the window in hopes of seeing him. She knew what he would try to do.

The wind got stronger – a lamp flew across the room, slamming against the wall. Elena jumped, grabbing onto Stefan's arm. He pulled her close, reassuring her before turning his attention back to Taylor.

"Taylor?" He called out.

For a minute she didn't move – didn't answer. Damon had just gone to do the dumbest thing he could have done. There was no way he would be able to be Klaus. He was much too strong for him. That was clear – yet, he still ran after him. She knew it was for her. That he wanted her to feel safe, but that didn't change the sudden anger that flooded her. Did he have to be so hot-tempered? So _selfish? _

Running off to save her put _his_ life in danger. Her freedom was nothing if he was dead.

"He is so stupid," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

In a split second, she turned, ready to run to the very place she wanted to stay away from the most. Before she could reach the door, Stefan tackled her to the floor. He gripped her shoulders with his hands and held her down. A look of determination flooded her face, though he continued to hold her down.

"Stefan! Let me go!"

"Don't, Stefan!" Elena screamed, kneeling down next to the two.

"Elena! I need to go!"

"You're going to go back to Klaus," she accused, tears threatening to spill.

"It's the only way to save him. Damon's going – you know he is. Klaus will kill him!"

"You can't let him get you."

"What if it was Stefan, Elena? What if he was going to die?" Taylor's words hit her sister hard. "Wouldn't you do everything to save him?"

"Taylor," Stefan spoke, grabbing her attention, hoping it would calm the sudden fear he knew Elena felt. "He'll be fine."

Anger began to bubble beneath the fear she felt. "We don't know that."

"Damon can handle himself."

"Not against Klaus!"

In a sudden surge, the wind that blew through the room picked him up, flying him across the room. He hit the wall hard, a dent where he had hit. She used the wind to hold him back as she stood, rushing to the door.

"He's your brother Stefan. I know you want him safe. I'll get him back."

Before they could stop her, they rushed out and down the same path she knew Damon had taken. She pushed herself to go harder than she had gone before, knowing that time was something she did not have if she wanted to see Damon alive. Yet, there was a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. The feeling that Damon would be alive whenever it was that she got there. That Klaus was waiting for her. Because he knew she would come to save him – he knew whom she cared for. And that scared her. If he knew who she cared for, he knew exactly how to control her.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello!<strong>

**Been a while and such, I know. This chapter is not the longest, but it needed to be written to get the next one. I do hope you like this.**

**Also, updates may be spread out like this, too. I am going back to school (21 credits on my load this semester) and I am working two jobs. I will try my best, though.  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5: You & I

Chapter 5:  
><em>You &amp; I<em>

* * *

><p>The only thought running through Taylor Gilbert's mind was a frantic one: that Damon must have been on the edge of death by now. It had been half an hour since she'd run through the doors of the Salvatore boarding house after Damon, yet she felt no closer to the house than she had at the beginning. It had been a dark ride back home when they'd found her – she'd passed out soon after escaping the compulsion Klaus had managed to put on her. Finding her way to the house was harder than she expected.<p>

A sick feeling rooted itself in the pit of her stomach, growing stronger with every fear filled thought. Damon was dead or near death. He was being tortured worse than she had been when she'd been there. That thought alone was enough for her to push harder, to focus all of her energy on finding the house. On getting back to the one place she wanted nothing to do with.

The vampire stopped, feeling hopeless. It took that feeling of complete hopelessness for her to feel what was hidden underneath – a strong sense of direction. She knew where it was, somehow. Her magic was leading her to it. With only that feeling to go on, she took off again, running as fast as she could. It wasn't long before she was standing, frozen in her spot, at the bottom step of the house she'd only escaped a day ago.

Taylor didn't want to go in, but she knew he was there.

Before she could take another step, the door opened. Although she expected to see Klaus standing there, a knowing smirk on his face, he wasn't. No one was there. Unnerved, she glanced around her. Even with her vampire senses, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. She knew better than to believe that.

"Please, come on in," his voice called from inside. It was distant; bellow the first floor of the house. He was deep in the basement, for reasons she didn't want to know.

All of her instincts screamed to run – that this was not a fight she could win. But Damon was in there, because of her. He'd rushed after the vampire to make her feel safe. There was no way she would leave without him. She took a deep breath before walking in.

The door slammed shut behind her and she jumped, on edge. A chuckle came from bellow.

In a flash, she stood at the bottom of the basement stairs. A single light dangled from the ceiling and though it's light barely filled the center of the room, it was enough for her to see. A gasp escaped her lips and she felt her body begin to tremble slightly.

Damon hung limply from the ceiling, a thick chain holding his hands together above his head. His head hung loosely and he made no notion that he noticed her presence. Dozens of wooden stakes pierced his skin and the blood poured from his body like a fountain. The burning smell of vervain filled the small room, distracting the girl from noticing the presence of another body hidden in the back of the room.

"Damon," Taylor choked out, rushing to his side.

A hiss filled the silence of the room as her hands felt the vervain dripping from his body. An almost desperate cry left her lips. She made it back to him but she couldn't save him.

Taylor turned to face Klaus, a glare hardened on her face, though he simply smirked in response.

"I knew you would come back."

"Let him go," she spat, her voice low, threatening.

"Now why would I do that?"

Rather than answering, she focused her energy on her emotions. The crazed fear, the anger, the hope; it flooded her system as though it were intensified a thousand fold. The atmosphere changed and a strong wind blew through the room. On command, though she didn't understand how it worked, the wind blew forward, managing to knock Klaus backwards.

"That's a nice little trick there," he spoke, patronizingly. His smirk never left his face. "I've got a few, myself."

Before she knew it, a searing pain erupted in her head, forcing her to her knees. Taylor couldn't, though she tried, to hold back the scream. It was like someone held a wooden spike, piercing her head again and again. Taylor had done some very bad things in her life that had justified the pain she'd felt in her lifetime, but none of it seemed to justify this. As though it were nothing, because to him it really was nothing, Klaus bent down beside her.

The pain never stopped and she assumed that she'd somehow missed someone else in the room. There was no way it was Klaus doing it. She wished she had enough strength to glare through the pain. All that escaped where tears and screams.

A movement to her side caught her attention and she struggled to glance up. Damon's eyes had opened and he struggled against the pain to break free, though it did no good. Seeing his pain, Taylor tried to ignore her own – to get up and get to him. The pain got worse – much worse. It spread from just her head to her entire body – like she was lit on fire and burning in agony.

Klaus followed her gaze and smirked, an evil spark in his eyes.

"Such a shame," he whispered, placing his hand gently on her cheek. Taylor flinched, but could do no more. The pain kept her paralyzed. "A waste of your attention. A waste of everyone's attention."

The fear she'd felt earlier was back - for Damon, not herself. She didn't like the look in Klaus' eyes. He was crazy – he'd do whatever he wanted to get to her. Quickly, she sprang up, away from Klaus. It wasn't a second before she was bent over, as the pain grew stronger. Her hand reached out and, in a crazed manner, broke the railing of the stairs. A piece of broken wood was tight in her hand and she raised it above her heart.

"Let him go."

"And why would I let the both of you get away?"

She spoke through the pain, "Let him go or you won't get me."

The question seemed to surprise him. He stopped talking, a thoughtful look plastered on his face. "On one condition," he spoke loudly, though he did nothing to stop the witch in the corner from doing her magic – at least that was what Taylor assumed she was doing, as she just noticed her.

"_What,_" she hissed, tears continuing to fall, though she managed to keep herself standing.

"You have to stay with me."

Damon began to struggle again. Her eyes flickered toward him. His eyes were wide, fear and anger running deep in them. He didn't want her to do it, but doing it was the only way to ensure his survival.

"Fine," she agreed, her eyes snapping back to Klaus.

"Greta," he spoke, his eyes never leaving Taylor's. "Stop. And untie Mr. Salvatore over there."

The pain left her body and a breath escaped her lips. Immediately she turned to Damon, watching as the witch untied him with her magic, letting him fall to the floor. Taylor rushed forward, grabbing him and holding him in her arms, ignoring the pain she felt as the vervain touched her skin.

"Come, Taylor. We have business to attend to."

"I'm not leaving with you until I know he is safe."

"That was not a part of the plan."

"Yes, it is," she argued, her eyes locked in a glare with his own. "I will not go with you unless I am certain he is safe."

She could see him thinking. It was in the way his face scrunched together and he looked around the room absently.

"Pick him up, let's go."

Quickly, Taylor turned back to Damon. A lump formed in her throat at the sight before her. "This is going to hurt," she whispered, as much to herself as to Damon. She reached forward and grabbed the first wooden stake, yanking it out in one quick motion. A scream ripped itself from Damon and though it hurt her to continue, she forced her self to pull out the remaining stakes, knowing he wouldn't get far with them in.

"As touching as it is to watch you two, I have no time for this," Klaus' impatient voice demanded.

"Make time," Taylor hissed, as she slowly hoisted Damon up, supporting most of his weight.

The group moved at a slow pace up the stairs and to the front of the house, with Klaus leading and Greta – his witch – following from behind. Boxing them in, in case they were to try something. It was a while before they reached the front yard and it worried Taylor that Damon didn't look any better than he had a few minutes ago. The vervain was keeping his body from healing.

"Let's get on with this," Klaus demanded, earning a glare from the young vampire.

Taylor turned her attention to Damon.

"Damon?"

He looked up, his eyes filled with concern.

"I'll be fine," she assured him, though she didn't believe it. "I need you to get as far away from here as you can. Then call Stefan, okay? He'll come and get you."

Struggling, he stood on his own, raising his hands to cup her face. "No."

Tears stung her eyes. "_Please,_" she begged. "I need you safe."

"I'm not leaving you here with _him_."

Klaus took that as his cue to hurry things along. He walked forward and grabbed Damon, throwing him forward, away from Taylor. Damon landed in a pile on the floor, the pain freezing him for a moment, before he struggled to stand.

"Damon!" She screamed and moved to run to his side, but Klaus caught her in his arms, holding her back. "Damon, run, please. Before he changes his mind!"

"Taylor –"

"JUST GO DAMON!"

Her words struck him and he turned, summoning all of his energy. He took one last glance back before taking off and she knew he would be coming back for her. He would always come back for her.

"Now," Klaus spoke, as if he couldn't be happier. "That business we've got to care of."

"What business," she spat, pushing him away from her.

"You'll find out soon enough."

The vampire moved to walk back into the house, followed by the witch. Taylor remained rooted in her spot, her gaze falling on the path Damon had just taken. Thought consumed her mind – she hoped he made it far enough. She hoped he would be all right.

"Let's go." Klaus called after her.

Taylor whipped her head around. A glare that seemed to be permanent when she addressed him adorned her features. "I will never trust you and you will never be able to trust me. You will never be able to use me in what ever plans you hope to fulfill, especially if it involves the people I care about. You had better watch your back, Klaus, because I'll take any chance I get."

"That's quite the speech," he laughed. In a second, he was in front of her, his hand stroking her cheek. "Too bad there will never come a time when you will be able to over power me."

Just as she was about to speak, Klaus jerked back. He collapsed slowly, in a similar way that she had in the basement when Greta used her powers against her. Taylor stepped back, afraid. Her eyes fell upon Greta who, surprisingly enough was reacting the same way. The young vampire's head snapped around, but she was met with emptiness. Though she was scared and shocked, she didn't need another mysterious opportunity to come by. The vampire took off, sprinting in the same direction that Damon had disappeared in. The farther she got from the house, the safer she felt and the more she hope that she would find Damon when she got to the boarding house.

After running for a few minutes, she jolted to a stop at the sight before her. It wasn't a miracle that had saved her or some divine being taking pity on her – and she had thought about that. It wasn't even Damon, though she saw him and had to clear the tears from her eyes to check again. He was leaning against the car, a dozen blood bags littering the floor beneath him. He had made it safely.

But of all the strange things that surprised her, it was the person standing there with a smirk on her face that surprised her most.

"I couldn't just let you _die_, could I?"

The tears she held back fell down her face with renewed strength. Taylor sprang forward, her arms encircling her.

"Katherine!"

The two vampires shared a hug and it was easy to see that the two shared a bond that was beyond breaking.

"We should get going," a voice called from behind them, breaking the two from their moment. Katherine seemed to agree with the woman, nodding her head and heading to the driver's seat of the car. Soon she disappeared into the car, along with the woman, leaving Damon and Taylor alone.

Immediately, she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head in his chest. Damon wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her as close to him as he could.

"I thought I lost you," he whispered, an emotion in his voice that felt special, because it was for _her._

The young girl pulled back, a sudden anger flaring up within her. "Don't you _ever_ do that again! That was so _stupid._ You could have been killed!"

It was amazing that in a time of stress and fear, he could find something to smirk about. But then again, it was Damon Salvatore, and he _always_ found something to joke about. He opened the car door, waiting for her to get in before he got in, shutting the door behind him. The car took off in a jolt, speeding down the empty road, headed toward the boarding house.

"I make no promises. I rarely think a plan through."

Taylor let herself laugh, punching him in the arm. "I know that."

"It's part of my charm."

"Yeah, that and being an ass." She laughed and even Katherine chuckled, which was a rarity in itself.

"And yet you love me."

The arrogance that seeped through his words forced her to roll her eyes. She laid her head on his chest, comfortable as he wrapped his arms around her protectively. Taking a few deep breaths, she locked eyes with Katherine in the mirror. Katherine raised an eyebrow at her friend, knowing all too well what was happening. She'd seen the same kind of love struck look on her face before.

"Yes, I do," she whispered.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hello, my readers.<em>**

**_I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I want to ask you, what do you think will happen next?_**


	6. Chapter 6: Secrets

Chapter 6:  
><em>Secrets<em>

* * *

><p>"What is Alaric doing here," Taylor questioned as the group pulled to a stop in front of the history teacher's car. The young girl raised a hand and ran it through her messy hair, attempting to flatten it down to resemble normalcy.<p>

"We were gone an hour, tops, and brother has already called in the cavalry," Damon's sarcastic comment echoed in the car, earning a few rolls of their eyes. He pushed open the door, fully getting out before turning to help Taylor out, though she didn't need it. She grabbed his hand, happy that it was there to grab. An hour ago she thought he was dead – permanently, this time.

"Is that all, Katherine," the woman asked, hopping from the passenger seat to the driver's seat.

"For now, Lucy."

"Katherine," the woman – Lucy – almost whined, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. It was times like this that she wished she didn't know Katherine. Almost every situation she was brought into could only get worse.

"I will call on you when I need you," Katherine insisted. "Now _go_."

Without another word Lucy sped off in the direction she had just come from. _Brave_, Taylor thought, considering that Klaus was in that direction. Although, Lucy had managed to force him to his knees in pain, she could probably handle Klaus and his witch again. Just the thought forced a shiver through Taylor's body. Damon, noticing her movements, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, offering her a smile. She offered a smile.

In an awkward silence the three headed in, walking through the slightly opened door. Surprisingly, the first person they were greeted by was the history teacher.

"Alaric?"

"Taylor," he sighed, relieved to see the young girl. "I'm glad you're okay."

"It's not like _I_ was in any danger, Ric. No need to be glad to see me," Damon commented, a smirk clear on his features.

Alaric rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore his statement. He called out to Stefan, who entered moments later with a relieved Elena. Spotting Taylor near the door she rushed forward, her arms circling around her sister.

"I thought you were in trouble!"

With her arms still wrapped around Elena, Taylor let out a soft laugh. "I was. A lot of trouble, actually."

Elena puled away. "How did you get away?"

"That would be _me_," Katherine finally spoke, raising her hand with a smirk similar to Damon's on her face.

"What is _she_ doing here? I don't want her here!"

"Elena," Taylor admonished.

"No, I don't trust her, Taylor. I don't want her here."

Taylor raised her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. She loved her sister, really, but she was starting to get on her last nerve. How many times did Katherine have to do something nice before everyone realized they could trust her – that they didn't _have_ to hate her for the past?

"I would be dead, Elena, if she hadn't saved me."

"The good doesn't outweigh the bad. What was she even doing there, Taylor? Aren't you curious about that?"

Actually, she was, it just hadn't come to her realization with all the excitement. She turned to face Katherine. "Why were you there?"

"I was keeping an eye on you," she shrugged. "I knew it was dangerous with you running back to Klaus to save _Damon_."

"How do you know about Klaus," Stefan questioned.

"I'll tell you, if you let me help."

An immediate, "No," came from Damon. Elena followed it and, surprisingly, even Alaric piped in with his opinion. Taylor remained quiet, contemplating the situation.

"I'm not going to tell you if I'm not included," she argued. Clearly it would be in her best interest to be on their side, Taylor thought, as whoever Klaus was – was someone of great power. And she had a feeling there was something Katherine was hiding.

"You're not helping," Elena replied, upset.

"Then I'm sorry, Taylor," Katherine spoke, turning to her friend. She opened the door and said, "You'll need my help," before disappearing, the door slamming shut after her.

"Ric," Damon said, a contemplative look on his face. Taylor raised an eyebrow, knowing that something was going on that she didn't understand.

"Yeah?"

"Isobel, she did research."

"I know that," he answered, unsure of where the vampire was headed with his obvious statements.

"Maybe we could find some information on our furry little problem," he suggested.

Taylor, completely in the woods about what they were talking of, interrupted. "What are you guys talking about?"

It seemed to dawn on everyone in the room that the entire time they'd encountered a problem, Taylor had been locked away with Klaus. Stefan was the first to try and explain what had happened.

"While you where trapped with Klaus, we were attacked, along with the tomb vampires."

"And?"

"And I almost burned alive; Caroline got turned, by Katherine, of course, mayor Lockwood was burned by a device that should only have affected vampires. Oh, and some guy named Mason showed up," Damon added, making it seem simpler than it actually was.

Taylor's eyes widened and she was happy there was too much in what he had just said to pinpoint what she was surprised about.

"Mason," she questioned, hoping they would elaborate.

"He's not human," Stefan answered her.

"Oh? And this is a problem because?"

"We think he might be a werewolf."

"A werewolf," she asked, surprised. There was no doubt in her mind now that this Mason was the one she knew – the one that Katherine had introduced her to in Chicago. The very one she had grown close to, like a brother. Taylor knew about werewolves. Oh, they existed, and there weren't as large in numbers as the vampires, but there were quite a few of them. "This Mason guy?"

"Mason Lockwood," Elena elaborated.

If possible, Taylor's eyes widened even more. "Lockwood? As in Tyler Lockwood?"

Her sister nodded. "His uncle."

Now _that_ was news to her. She hadn't known Mason's last name, let alone that he was Tyler Lockwood's uncle. _Things just go a whole lot more complicated,_ she thought. The one thing that irritated her the most was her inability to connect the dots. What was Mason doing in Mystic Falls? Nothing seemed to make sense to her.

"And you want to see if Isobel," Taylor snarled at her name, earning a warning glance from Alaric. "Had anything on werewolves?"

"Yup," Damon replied, popping the 'p'.

"I'll pass," Taylor replied, earning curious glances from the others. She explained further. "I've been through enough with supernatural beings, I don't need anymore. Besides, since I've been in town I haven't gone to see Tyler and his dad just passed away. I need to go and see him."

"Didn't know you and Lockwood were so close," Damon pressed, obviously jealous.

"Stop it Damon," she sighed, running a hand through her curls. "I'm not in the mood for that."

And he did just that – he dropped it – though it left him in a rather unpleasant mood.

"I'm staying behind too," Stefan added. "To help Caroline adjust."

The topic of Caroline clicked a few gears in Taylor's head and she disappeared, running upstairs to Damon's room where she had begun to keep a duffle bag of her things. Inside a jewelry case at the bottom of the bag laid a delicate ring, dating back centuries. After putting the case away, she rushed downstairs, handing the ring to Stefan.

"What is this?"

"It's a ring, Stefan," she smiled, before rolling her eyes. "It's an old ring I bought in an antique shop. It's one of the many that I have. I want you to give it to Caroline. It's a daylight ring."

"One of the many," Alaric questioned, curious.

"I found a witch and had him make me a whole jewelry case full of them; rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings. You can't be safe enough."

"And it works?"

"Yes, Stefan, it _works_. Tell Caroline I'll find her when I'm done with Tyler. I'll help her with whatever I can."

Stefan nodded his head and watched as the vampire, who amazed him, walked to the front door. She turned to face the group. "Let me know what you find. I'll be back in an hour or so." Without another word, she disappeared.

Elena spoke up as her sister disappeared, "What's wrong, Damon?"

Damon who had an unsure look plastered on his face, turned to face the others. "I feel like she's hiding something."

"That's just your inability to trust anyone," Elena replied.

* * *

><p>The Lockwood manner seemed large and imposing as Taylor stood on the front porch, raising her hand to knock on the door. A few seconds after her knock rang through the lower portion of the house, the door opened, revealing Mrs. Lockwood, looking distraught.<p>

"Elena?"

Taylor smiled. She didn't blame her for not recognizing her – she hadn't gone to visit her after all. "Actually, it's Taylor, Mrs. Lockwood. I'm sorry about your husband. He was a nice man." That was a lie. Taylor hadn't thought he was nice in any way, but that's not exactly the type of thing you tell a grieving wife.

"Taylor," she exclaimed, pausing before wrapping her arms around the girl. "Thank you. It was so unexpected."

Taylor nodded her head, still standing in the doorway. "I was wondering, Mrs. Lockwood, if Tyler was home?"

"I'm sorry, Taylor, he just let not too long ago. I can tell him to give you a call when I see him. Why don't you come in? Have something to drink?"

"Oh, no thank you," she declined, a smile on her face. "That's be great if you could tell Tyler to give me a call."

"I will," she insisted.

Taylor nodded her head and said her goodbye's before turning and walking off the porch, taking her phone out. She dialed Tyler's number, waiting for him to pick up. After the final ring, she heard the familiar sound of his voice.

"Hey Tyler, it's me: Taylor," she started, leaving a message on his voice-mail. "I've been back for a while, but I've been incredibly busy. I stopped by your house just now but you weren't home. Give me a call? I'll be free to hang whenever you are," her voice lowered, taking on a tone of sympathy, "I'm really sorry about your dad, Tyler. I'm here if you ever need anything."

Feeling that she had said enough, she pressed the 'end' button on her phone and shoved it in her pocket. She turned to leave when footsteps caught her attention.

"Taylor," a low voice questioned, unsure.

The vampire turned around; sure she knew who it was. A huge grin quickly spread across her features, matching those of the man who'd said her name. She rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him, relieved in his presence. He wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a quick squeeze before they broke apart.

"I missed you," he said, smiling.

"I missed you, too," she replied, hitting his arm playfully. "What are you doing here, Mason?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! <strong>

**I hope you liked this chapter! Taylor knows Mason! And they're pretty close. What do you think this will do to the story? Let me know in your reviews! They're what make me want to write more. **


	7. Chapter 7: The Wolf

Chapter 7:  
><em>The Wolf<em>

* * *

><p>"So what are you doing in Mystic Falls of all places, Mason?"<p>

Mason and Taylor had taken to walking around the Lockwood mansion, wandering to no place in particular. The topic of conversation had found its way to their reason for being in the town that seemed to attract supernatural with a magnet.

"What are _you_ doing here," he argued back.

Taylor laughed, rolling her eyes at the behavior of her friend. "I lived here."

"You did?"

"I did and I do," she insisted, before turning the attention on him. "So what about you? I heard your brother passed away."

"Yeah," Mason sighed, running his hand through his messy hair. "It was pretty unexpected."

Deciding to lay it all out, Taylor quickly threw out, "I heard he died because of a device that was supposed to incapacitate vampires."

The two stopped walking, standing far enough from the house to not worry about being heard. Mason raised an eyebrow at the girl before him.

"And?" He asked, clearly not hearing the question in her words.

"He was a werewolf, wasn't he?"

"Not exactly."

"How are you 'not exactly' a werewolf," she questioned, raising her own eyebrow. She crossed her arms across her chest signaling that she would get her answers. Mason took one look at the demeanor of the small vampire before him, her eyes in a curious glance, and he knew he would have to answer her.

"He never triggered the curse."

"It has to be triggered?"

He nodded his head.

"And it runs in the family," she pushed, a sudden sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"That it does."

A shiver ran through her spine and she knew the answer to her unspoken question, even before she asked it. "Can Tyler trigger it?"

At the mention of his nephew, Taylor now had Mason's full attention. It hadn't struck Taylor that he didn't know she knew Tyler. They had grown up together; after all, it would have been hard not to know who he was. They were actually close before she disappeared.

"You know Tyler?"

The vampire nodded her head. "I knew him growing up, before I left."

Curiosity surged through the werewolf, who knew very little of the past she carried around with her. "When were you turned?"

Without hesitation, she answered, "A few months before Katherine introduced me to you."

"Who turned you?"

"Katherine," Taylor laughed, as if it were obvious.

"Why'd you leave Mystic Falls?"

"What's with all the questions, Mason," she asked, confused as to where it was suddenly coming from and afraid to delve into her past.

"Just wondering," he dismissed. "I realized I don't know that much about you."

"And what about you? How did you trigger the curse?"

The second the question left her lips she knew it was a touchy subject. He winced, his eyes shifting away from her, glancing off into the distance, though Taylor knew there was nothing in particular he was staring at. After a long sigh, he answered.

"I killed someone."

A gasp left her lips.

"_That's_ how you trigger the curse?" She didn't know why the concept of killing was so absurd to her. She'd done it many times before, often with little thought, some times with much thought. There was just something about linking killing someone with Tyler that put her on edge. She knew the rage he carried all to well and how possible it would be for him to snap and make one mistake. One that would cost him his normalcy.

Mason nodded his head solemnly. "You look worried."

"Tyler," she said, closing her eyes. "I'm worried for him."

"I am too," he answered honestly.

Realizing he hadn't asked her question, she asked again. "Tyler can trigger it? By killing someone?"

"Yeah."

"Oh no," she whispered.

"What? 'Oh no', what?"

She turned on her heel to face him. "Have you seen the rage on that boy?"

Mason almost laughed seeing the concern in her face. "Yes, I have, but I have a feeling he'll be okay."

"And what makes you say that?"

"He's got you watching out for him."

"And that's supposed to make him safe? I can't be there every second of the day."

"No," he spoke, sure of himself. "But you care enough to be there when it counts."

* * *

><p>After their conversation Taylor left with a very disturbed feeling running through her body. It was a while as she wandered around, heading nowhere in particular, though it felt like only minutes had passed. The sun had set, the dark falling upon Mystic Falls for an hour or so before her phone began to ring. Surprisingly, it was Stefan. Taylor had forgotten that she'd told him she'd go and see Caroline.<p>

Taylor had been so pent up with her thoughts, wondering about Mason Lockwood, to think about anything else. Feeling guilty, she quickly answered, finally noticing the faint sound of a party going on nearby.

"Stefan? I'm so sorry I totally forgot about Caroline. I was wrapped up and –"

"Taylor," Stefan's frantic voice called. "Where are you right now?"

"Uh, I'm at the Lockwood's. Why? What's happening?"

"You need to get to the boarding house and stay there."

"What? Stefan, what's going on?"

"Elena called. Werewolves exist – Mason Lockwood is one. It's dangerous, Taylor. You need to get home. A bite is fatal!"

"Are you sure, Stefan," she pressed, though she was sure. She was absolutely sure that Mason was a werewolf and that a bite from him would mean her death. She had known and yet she let herself forget.

"Yes, we're sure," He argued. There was a strange growling noise on the other end, faint.

"Stefan? What was that?"

"Taylor, I have to go. Get home!"

The phone went dead. Though Stefan had years on her, she had more experience than he in fighting werewolves. As fast as she could she sped through the forest, listening for any signs of the younger Salvatore brother. When she finally heard him, through the far off sound of kids, she recognized his frantic voice and Caroline's frightened ramblings. Taylor pushed harder, speeding through the trees until she found the two. It was the sound of Matt's heartbeat that caused her to raise a brow.

"Taylor," Stefan was surprised. "I told you to go home. We need to get out of here."

"You two need to leave," she commanded, surprising the two with her tone. "And take Matt. I'll take care of the wolf."

She turned to leave, stopping only when Caroline spoke, grabbing her arm. "You can't go after it!"

"Yes, I can, Caroline," Taylor insisted, pushing a lock of curls behind her head. No hint of fear passed her features. "I've done this before. I can handle myself."

"You've done this before? Fought a werewolf?"

"_Yes_, Stefan. Now is _not_ the time! Go!"

A growl ripped through the night. Despite the timing, Taylor couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Perfect timing," she mumbled to herself, calm despite the fact that Mason could leap out at any second and rip them to shreds.

Stefan, fully aware of the situation spoke next. "Caroline, we have to lure him away from Matt. We need to run as fast as we can."

Caroline was shaking, fear filling her body. She nodded her head. She and Stefan glanced once in Taylor's direction before they took off, Taylor running quickly behind them. They came to a stop at the entrance of what looked like a cellar that went underground. Surprisingly, Tyler Lockwood came walking out, a questioning look on his face.

"Caroline, Stefan? What are you doing here?" His eyes shifted to Taylor and they widened. "Taylor?" He was always the one who could tell the twins apart.

She opened her mouth to reply, only to be cut off by the sound of Caroline's scream ripping through the night as a large wolf jumped and knocked her down. It snarled, snapping its teeth at her, attempting to bite her face. As quickly as the wolf appeared, Taylor's face changed and she ran forward, ripping the wolf off of Caroline and flying it across the group. A snarl left her lips as she bent down threateningly, willing Mason to realize it was her. The wolf took a few wary steps forward, still snarling.

"No!"

Tyler Lockwood's voice rang through the forest, snapping the wolf from its snarl. After a few seconds it turned and disappeared into the night. Taylor's face changed back to normal and she watched as the others exchanged worried glances.

"Taylor, are you okay?"

The vampire nodded her head, much more composed than the others. "I'm fine, Stefan. Go with Caroline and do what you need to do. I've got to talk to Tyler."

Taylor waited until the two disappeared to turn to Tyler, who remained standing stunned in the same spot he'd stood in when he chased the wolf away.

"Hey Ty," she said, nonchalantly, like things were normal.

"Taylor that was –"

"Mason," she answered.

Tyler nodded his head, finally moving from his spot to get a better look at her. "How did you do that?"

"Do what, Tyler?"

His face-hardened in a glare. Obviously playing things off was not going to work for her. "Pick him up and toss him like he was a feather!"

"Calm down, Tyler," she hissed, what Mason said about the curse floating in her mind. "You need to relax first."

The young boy took a few deep and long breaths to calm himself.

"I've fought wolves before," she answered, deciding to keep it to herself that she'd _killed_ wolves before.

"How did you know it was Mason? How do you know Mason to begin with?"

Taylor shifted uncomfortably. They were entering a territory that she didn't want to go in. "I met him in Chicago."

"Chicago? Is that where you went when you decided to leave us all behind?"

The young girl cringed at the sharpness of his words. Tyler sighed, knowing he had been harsh to use those words, though the anger was true. He had felt abandoned when she'd left.

"Tyler," she whispered, loud enough for him to hear. "I was messed up. I had to do something and I did it. It's not like I left for good. I came _back_."

"You still didn't answer my question."

"What question?"

"How are you that strong?"

"Tyler," she warned, stepping a few steps back.

The boy continued to press the subject. "Taylor."

"I'm… I'm a vampire."

Tyler's face was frozen. His eyes were widened and she watched as the fear slowly etched its way into his eyes. He gulped, thinking of how absurd she sounded. Then again, he had just found out his uncle turned into a wolf. Maybe a vampire wasn't far from reality, after all.

"Prove it," he suddenly spoke, earning a curious glance from the vampire.

With a shrug of her shoulders, she allowed her face to change, her fangs coming out. He jumped back and gasped, but slowly relaxed. After a few minutes she let her face change back to normal, feeling oddly exposed letting Tyler see her that way.

"Taylor," he asked softly, his eyes looking off into the direction that Mason had disappeared to.

"Yeah?"

"Am I going to turn into a wolf, too?"

She could hear the fear in his voice. The uncertainty of his sudden situation. Taylor ran a hand through her curls. "You have to ask Mason, Ty."

"You know," he accused, turning to meet her gaze.

"It's not my place to tell you," she told him, turning and disappearing into the forest.

* * *

><p>The Salvatore house was not empty. She could feel Damon and Stefan hustling about in the house and she contemplated going in, but decided against it at the last moment. For once she wanted nothing more than to be home – somewhere she hadn't been in a really long time. At least it felt that way.<p>

Taylor continued running, stopping only when she got home. She opened the door and walked up the stairs. Not surprisingly enough, Taylor was enveloped in a hug the second Elena spotted her as she neared her room.

"Elena!"

"Taylor! Stefan told me you saved Caroline."

"Uh, yeah. I did," she replied, a sudden fatigue rushing through her body. "Did you guys find anything?"

"Damon found that," she answered, pointing toward an old book lying on her bed.

"Speaking of Damon," Taylor suddenly spoke. "Are you two okay? You seemed a little… on edge when I left you guys."

"Taylor…"

"Elena? What happened?"

Elena pulled her sister into her room, shutting the door lightly behind them. As angry as she was with Damon, there was a part of her that was worried about her sister's reaction. She loved Damon – Elena could see it in her face every time Taylor looked at him.

"_Elena_," Taylor pressed, getting anxious.

"He killed Jeremy."

"_What,_" she hissed, hoping she was mistaken.

"He's fine now," Elena insisted, though anger filled her words. "He has an old Gilbert ring that keeps him from dying by supernatural beings."

"Did Damon know he was wearing it?"

Elena shook her head. "No. He didn't."

It was like the world crashed around her. Everything that mattered didn't. All she knew was the anger that so easily consumed her. With a flash she was gone, out Elena's window and running down the street toward the Salvatore house.

Damon was dead.

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter out! Mason and Taylor had a nice conversation (definitely not the last). Stefan, Caroline and Taylor had a run in with Mason as a wolf. Tyler knows about Taylor being a vampire. And, most important, she is on her way to confront Damon for killing Jeremy. <strong>

**Let me know what you think in your reviews!  
><strong>


	8. Chapter 8: Tension

Chapter 8:  
><em>Tension<em>

* * *

><p>The front door to the Salvatore boarding house burst open to reveal a furious Taylor. Her eyes quickly scanned the first floor. No one was down there with her, which was strange since she was sure someone had been as she'd approached. It must have been the anger clouding her senses.<p>

Stefan's voice startled her.

"Taylor, what are you doing here?"

Her body snapped in his direction, her glare not diminished the slightest. "Where is Damon?"

"What's going on?"

"Stefan! Where is he," she hissed.

The elder vampire finally caved, telling her that he was in fact up stairs in his room. Stefan shook his head; sure that Damon had done something stupid to deserve her anger. Actually, he was rather sure what it was that his idiot of a brother had done. He just hoped nothing too bad was about to happen. Just in case he listened as Taylor rushed up the stairs, bursting through his door.

At the sight of Damon her fury intensified. Taylor rushed forward and tackled the vampire to the floor, straddling his waist and pinning his arms to the floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" The irritation in his voice told her he was still upset about earlier.

"What the hell do you think _you_ were doing?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You killed him!"

Damon sighed, "Who are we talking about?"

"My brother, you asshole," she screamed, her fangs extended at the strong emotions she felt.

"Jeremy is alive and fine," he said. "Still breathing."

"Don't joke around, Damon! This isn't something stupid. He's my brother! And you tried to kill him."

"The key word being _tried_."

She hissed in his face. "You were lucky he was wearing that damned ring!"

Before he could reply she sprang away, retreating to the other side of the room, nearest the door. Her arms were folded across her chest, hugging her body for comfort. With an almost heartbreaking look on her face she glanced up at Damon.

"Did you know he was wearing the ring?"

Damon's face dropped. He took a step forward, his hands reaching out to her. "Taylor…"

"Answer me Damon."

"No," he said, his voice soft.

Tears stung Taylor's eyes and she held back the cry that wanted to come out. "Why? Why did you do that?"

The elder vampire struggled for a reason. How do you put into words how horrible he had felt? How much he had wanted to take it out on anyone? "I was in a bad place. Katherine came back. You were missing. I couldn't take it."

It wasn't a good enough answer. The vampire turned her back to him, an overwhelming sense of emotion filling her as she rushed down the stairs. She would have kept running if Stefan hadn't stopped her, a concerned look on his face.

"What happened?"

He had heard everything – she knew he'd been listening. Despite this, she fell to the floor where she stood, defeated as tears fell.

"I don't know how much of this I can take, Stefan."

"What do you mean," he asked, taking a seat next to her on the floor, resting a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. He was always the better of the Salvatore brothers to deal with these kinds of things.

"Every time I get Damon it feels like something tears us apart."

Stefan said nothing. There was more that she wanted to say. All he had to do was wait for her to feel comfortable enough to say it. It didn't take long before the words spilled from her mouth.

Near sobs, she continued. "We get into an argument or he does something incredibly stupid and we're at odds. It's always _something_. I just feel like I can never relax with him, Stefan, and I don't know if I like that. I'm so… I'm so _tired_ of arguing."

"Then don't argue," he spoke softly, as if it were that easy.

"Have you met your brother?" She scoffed, before continuing in a whisper, "This feels like the last straw."

"The last straw?"

"Killing Jeremy. I can't be with Damon if he's going to do something like that without thought."

"I'm not going to tell you what to do," Stefan said softly, aware that Damon may be listening from his room upstairs. "But I'll tell you that I know you love him. And that you'll get over this. And Taylor?"

The young girl looked up through blurred vision.

"You make him a better person. I'm not saying that what he did to your brother was okay or justifiable. Just… think about everything before you do something you'll regret."

Despite the sadness that consumed her, she smiled, reaching forward and bringing Stefan into a hug. "Thank you, Stefan."

* * *

><p>Waking up the next morning to the sound of people moving about, Taylor groaned, turning over in bed and hiding under her covers. Jenna's barbeque was today (which meant she'd have to deal with Damon <em>and<em> Mason). She was still beyond pissed that Damon had tried to kill Jeremy. Letting him know that she not only knew Mason – and lied to them – but that they were close would make him do something stupid. And an angry Damon was not what she needed at the moment.

_Maybe if I just lay here,_ she thought hopefully. Of course she wasn't that lucky.

"Come on, Tay, you have to get up," Elena called, opening her door and walking in. She chuckled at the sight of her sister, curled up beneath her sheets. "It's almost time for the barbeque… we can talk about it, if you want."

"_No_," she said, horrified. She did _not_ want to do that. "I just want to lie here all day."

"It won't be that bad, it's just Damon. You can handle him."

Reluctantly, Taylor tossed her blanket of, sitting up in her bed. She bit her lip, contemplating telling Elena about Mason. Maybe she would be more supportive if she found out now, rather than later when he arrived?

Noticing the unsure look on her sister's face, Elena asked, "What's wrong?"

After a long sigh, Taylor answered. "You remember Jenna's friend, Mason? The one that Damon is after?"

"Yeah? What about him?"

"I know him."

There was a long pause.

"You _know_ him? Taylor, why didn't you tell us earlier? You know this whole thing is set up by Damon right?"

"I _know_. I'm sorry Elena. I was just worried what you would all say and, I don't know, it felt like another Katherine problem."

"Another Katherine problem?"

"None of you believe me about Katherine – I was sure none of you would about Mason. And I didn't want Damon going off the deep end if he found out I knew him."

"And what do you think he'll do today?"

The vampire groaned, squeezing the temples of her head. "I don't know! I just want to go back to sleep…"

"I have to go through this, you do too. Come on, get ready. They'll be here in half an hour," Elena stood, walking to the door. "It'll be fine, Taylor. It'll work out."

"Are you mad?"

"About Mason?"

Taylor nodded her head, worried. Damon already hated her, she didn't need her sister to.

"No… you had your reasons."

With that her sister left. Taylor took a quick shower and got dressed, deciding to wear a cute white sundress that complemented her curves perfectly. After dressing, she headed downstairs just in time to hear voices from the kitchen. She stopped at the top of the stairs, listening. She could hear Elena, Jenna, Alaric… Mason _and_ Damon, as well. With a sigh, she headed down and into the kitchen.

"Hey guys," she greeted, ready for things to get awkward.

"Taylor," Mason greeted happily, walking over and pulling her into a friendly hug. She returned it, refusing to let her eyes flicker to Damon. Of course Mason wasn't surprised. He met Elena, Elena and Taylor were twins. The deduction was not hard to assume they were sisters.

The two broke apart and the vampire went to stand next to her sister.

"You two know each other," Jenna asked suspiciously.

Taylor nodded her head, hoping to get off without explaining more. Damon was tense, his eyes narrowed into a glare at Mason. She watched him closely, ready to intervene if it became necessary.

"How?"

"We met in Chicago," Taylor explained, unconsciously running a hand down her dress.

"You two were close?" The question came from Damon, who surprisingly managed to keep his anger under control.

Mason didn't fail to notice – he was an excellent observer and it worried her what putting these two in the same room would lead to. "Yeah we _are_ pretty close. We used to do everything together for a while back in Chicago, until she decided to go back home."

"Is that so?"

Mason nodded his head. "We were always together when she wasn't with other friends. We talked about everything."

As the two continued to go back and forth, holding Jenna and Alaric's attention, Elena pulled Taylor aside.

"What are we going to do if this gets bad," she whispered.

Taylor knew what she meant. She was talking about Damon. "Ill take care of it if it does. Let's just get this over with… Oh," she paused. "Caroline's here."

* * *

><p>In the kitchen, Taylor had retreated to doing the dishes. Elena and Caroline had left early to look for Stefan, who apparently hadn't answered any of Elena's calls or texts. Damon was constantly throwing jabs at Mason, poking at the fact that he was a werewolf, making comments about dogs and the like. It was driving her insane.<p>

"Need some help?"

The young girl turned, a relieved sigh escaping. "Hey Mason."

"You sound frustrated," he smiled, leaning against the counter near her. "Shouldn't you be having fun?"

"It's a bit hard with Damon being a complete ass and making snide remarks about you."

"You didn't tell him."

Taylor shook her head though it was more of a statement than a question, rinsing her hands before shutting the water off. She turned her attention to him fully. "I didn't want to get you into trouble. I only told Elena this morning."

"You're worried about me."

"Of course I am. Look, Mason, you need to be careful."

Being stubborn, the wolf simply smiled, feeling no threat.

"I'm serious. Damon's upset right now. He did something stupid and I got into an argument with him. He won't hesitate to do something stupid and hurt you."

"I'll be fine," he insisted, raising his hand to her shoulder. He squeezed it gently before the two walked into the living room where it seemed that everyone was departing.

Mason decided to leave, telling Alaric he'd catch some game with him. Damon was quick to follow, which worried Taylor. He sent her one last, longing look before disappearing out the door.

"Well that was interesting," Alaric mentioned as Jenna walked into the Kitchen.

"Don't Alaric," she sighed.

"Damon's going after him."

"I was worried he would."

"Are you going to stop him?"

"Since when could Damon be stopped if he didn't want to be? Mason can take care of himself."

Alaric opened his mouth to speak, then clamped it shut.

"What is it, Alaric?"

Though unsure, he asked, "When were you going to tell us?"

The vampire shrugged her shoulder. "I don't know. I was worried that Damon would over react and hurt Mason. I wasn't exactly planning on telling anyone. I was going to try and get Mason to leave."

"Oh."

"Yeah: Oh."

* * *

><p>Outside of Mystic Grill, Mason pulled to a stop, getting out of his car. It was dark out and he was a few feet from his car when Damon appeared. He began to greet him only to be interrupted by a silver knife being plunged in his chest. Mason fell to the floor, a surprised gasp leaving his lips. He listened as Damon opened the back of his truck and began going through it.<p>

After ripping out the silver, he stood, irritated.

"Well that's disappointing," Damon said.

"Silver does nothing. I think it's a myth the werewolves started for moments like this."

Damon said nothing. He watched cautiously as the wolf walked closer to him.

"You've just made an enemy, Damon."

With a nonchalant shrug, Damon began to walk away, but stopped as Mason brought up Taylor.

"You're going to loose her."

"_What_," he snapped.

"Whatever you did to her, it really hurt her. She isn't going to forget it. If you keep doing things like tonight you're going to loose her to someone else."

"To you?"

Mason didn't answer.

Angry and Jealous, Damon sped away back to the boarding house. He was going to kill that damn wolf. Taylor would get over it. He would get her back.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone! I feel like I fit a lot in the chapter. You have the falling out between Damon and Taylor. Then you have Elena and the other's finding out about the Taylor knowing Mason. Plus, the conversation between Mason and Taylor. Also, Mason and Damon. <strong>

**Do you think Damon will lose her? Why didn't Mason answer Damon?**

**Let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9: Suspension

Chapter 9:  
><em>Suspension<em>

* * *

><p>The next morning started for Taylor with her cell phone going off. She jolted up in bed grabbing her phone with her vampire speed, clicking the answer button and grumbling into the phone.<p>

"_What?"_

"_Taylor_," an irritated voice complained, waking her completely.

"Caroline?"

"Are you sleeping? Taylor you said you would come today and help with the picnic thing."

The young vampire stretched before she dragged herself out of bed and over to her dresser. "I did?" Leave it to Caroline to remember something she'd probably agreed to just to get her to stop asking.

"_Yes_ you did. You have to come today, _please_," she begged and Taylor noted there was a hint of sincerity in her voice. "Mom has decided to play mom for the day. I can't handle this on my own."

Though it surprised her that she didn't think of asking Elena she agreed. "I'll be there in thirty minutes, Caroline. I just need to get dressed."

The phone dial ended and she quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans, a white tank top with a pair of ankle boots. Taylor contemplated asking Elena for a ride, but the sound of Stefan made her decide otherwise. Her sister had told her about their suspicions with Caroline and their faked fight. It all seemed too much for her. Katherine was capable of doing some crazy things, but Taylor was certain that she wouldn't manipulate her like that. Either way it was something she didn't want to get involved in if she could help it.

Instead of bothering the two love birds, Taylor ran down the stairs and out the door. It wasn't long before she stood at the picnic, regretting her decision to come as dozens of people swarmed the grounds, including Damon who she spotted on the other side of the field.

"Caroline," she sighed to herself. "I have a feeling I'm going to regret this in a few hours."

The vampire closed her eyes hoping that maybe when she reopened them it would be magically better. With her eyes shut her ears focused more on her surroundings. The tail end of a conversation caught her ears.

"_There's two of us and one of you. I think you're the one who has to watch his back."_

Her eyes snapped open, searching the space until her eyes landed on the two whom the conversation came from. Stefan and Mason? What was going on? Taylor had the faintest feeling that this had something to do with Damon (everything always did). But what she couldn't figure out was why Stefan got involved.

Worried for her friends she sped across the field to where they were as fast as she could without drawing attention. When she finally reached the two she could practically _feel_ the testosterone emanating off of them.

"What's going on," she asked calmly, though she held an edge to her voice. "Stefan?"

The younger Salvatore looked uneasy – like he hadn't wanted her to hear any of what he'd said. "Nothing. Right Mason?"

"I'm not stupid. I know _something_ is going on."

"It's nothing," he pressed. Something caught his attention and he excused himself, but not before giving Mason another glance.

"What just happened," she asked, turning to Mason, who had returned to his truck, once Stefan disappeared.

"An attempt at a truce."

"A truce?"

"Damon followed me last night," he started.

There was no describing the irritation she felt with Damon. He knew he'd upset her by doing something and yet he goes ahead and does it any way.

"I know. I was afraid of what he would do. Are you okay?"

"Just a knife to my chest."

"_What_," Taylor hissed, grabbing Mason's arm, dragging him behind his truck. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Mason nodded his head, a smile still on his face. "I'm fine. See?"

She refused to let it drop, anger bubbling in her. "He's such an ass. I can't believe he did that. Actually, I can. He –"

"Taylor? What are you doing back here?"

Taylor nearly jumped, not suspecting Caroline to appear out of nowhere. "Caroline! You scared me!"

"Come on. We need to start helping out," Caroline said, dragging on her arm.

"Oh okay – bye Mason," Taylor managed to get out as she was dragged, sending Mason a look that asked for help, though he only smiled and shook his head. "So what are we doing today?" She asked, finally walking without Caroline's hand dragging her.

"Painting for us. Elena's over there," she said in her usual bouncy voice.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. Something was different about Caroline and not in a good way. Maybe Elena and Stefan were right? Maybe Katherine was making her behave that way. But what possible reason would she have for that? Taylor nearly laughed. Of course she knew what it was – Katherine still had feelings for Stefan, whether he would realize it or not. Still, she rushed to no conclusions. She would find out for herself.

Either way, she played along with Elena and Stefan's game, agreeing with Caroline that Katherine seemed to be pushing them apart.

"How are things with you and Stefan," Caroline asked Elena.

Caroline stood with a paintbrush in hand, absentmindedly painting the pillar in front of her while she watched Elena. Elena sighed and though it was fake Taylor knew how much it bothered her.

"We haven't spoken since the fight."

She sounded broken hearted.

"Give it some time," Taylor offered, a soft smile on her face. "It'll work out."

"Don't give her false hope," Caroline butted in, reinforcing what Elena and Stefan had said about her.

"I'm not," Taylor argued. "I'm telling her what I think."

"But it is false hope," she argued back.

Elena watched cautiously from her spot on the floor. Where ever the conversation was going it didn't seem good. Taylor had taken an edge to her voice. Though Elena was sure that Taylor loved Caroline like a sister, there was only so much the vampire would take before she snapped.

Caroline continued, completely abandoning the pillar. "Didn't you date a human? Or a witch-human? That didn't end to well."

"Caroline!" Elena gasped, glancing between her and her sister.

Frozen in her spot, Taylor's eyes widened. She didn't know who had told her, maybe it had been Elena, but she didn't care. Caroline could know – she loved Caroline like they were sisters. But did she have to bring it up in such a blunt way?

Immediately Caroline's hands sprang to her face, covering her mouth. "I'm _so_ sorry Taylor! I didn't mean to say that. I really didn't –"

"It's fine, Caroline," Taylor smiled. It was Katherine making her say that – or so she assumed – but it didn't make it hurt any less. "I'm just going to go over there for a while."

As she turned and walked away, she could hear Caroline's regretful voice trailing behind her. _"I really shouldn't have said that. I'm so stupid!"_ Rather than dwelling on what she'd said, Taylor searched the grounds for Mason, the one person she was sure could cheer her up or at least get her mind off of things. Unfortunately for her, Damon got in her way when she'd begun to walk over to him.

"What Damon," she sighed as he blocked her way, stepping in her path every time she tried to move until she finally caved.

"We need to talk."

"No, we don't," she said blankly.

Taylor wanted nothing more than for someone to take her away. She didn't want to talk to Damon. Too many conflicting emotions filled her to make it safe to talk to him – anger, sadness, longing. All she wanted was to be alone, but she was stuck at the picnic with Caroline. If she had to be there the least he could do was leave her alone.

Pleadingly, something unlike Damon, he gently grabbed her hands. "_Please_."

She shouldn't. She knew she shouldn't cave, but the look on his face was too hard to resist. With a sigh she nodded her head and waited for him to speak. It was _Damon_ who said they needed to talk, after all.

"I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Just my brother?"

The young girl's sharp voice cut through his calm façade and he adorned a look of worry and regret.

"I was talking to Elena and he came in. It wasn't planned. I don't know what I would have done if he had been wearing the ring. _Taylor,_" he begged, which threw Taylor off in and of itself. "You need to believe me."

Ignoring the feeling of jealousy she surprisingly got at the mention of _Elena's _name, she shook her head. "I can't do this, Damon. Not right now. It's too much."

Taylor made a move to leave when Damon's hand grabbed her arm, stopping her. She turned to look at him, pleading with her eyes for him to let her go. Finally he released his grip on her arm and watched as she walked away from him and towards Mason. If ever there was a time he wanted to kill him, it was now.

Taylor was very aware of Damon's eyes as he followed her movements and she knew how angry he must have been as he noticed she stopped by Mason, but she didn't let it consume her thoughts. Instead, she hoped Mason would be able to get her mind off of things.

"Hey Mason," she said, smiling.

Mason looked up from his spot on the ground, where he had been grabbing a large box the sheriff wanted him to move. Quickly standing, he said, "Hey. How are you holding up?"

"What do you mean," she asked innocently, hoping to avoid the topic of Damon Salvatore.

"Damon's here. I know it upsets you. I can see it on your face."

The young girl childishly stuck out her tongue. "Maybe you know me _too_ well. I'm fine," she insisted. "I'm a big girl and I'm not going to let it get to me. Anyway, how are things with Tyler? Did he ask you?"

On the subject of Tyler, Mason looked around cautiously, making sure no one would hear their conversation.

"I told him early this morning. I had no choice. By the way, sorry about trying to attack you."

Taylor waved off his apology, more interested in how her friend reacted. "Is he okay?"

"I don't think he's going to think about much of anything else for a long time."

Sighing, Taylor pulled her hands up to her face and ran them down her face. "That must have been why he called me so early! I didn't answer because I was completely drained of energy. He's not here, is he?"

Mason laughed. "Does Tyler seem like the kind of kid to help out at these types of things?"

"You're right," she laughed. "Do you think he's home?"

"It's a possibility. Why?"

With a shrug of her shoulders, she answered, "I was thinking of going by and seeing if he wanted to talk about it."

"You sure Caroline's going to let you go," he asked, nodding in the direction Taylor had just come from where Caroline and Damon watched her actions carefully.

"I'm pretty sure she'll let me leave," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll call you later."

Taylor turned to leave, ready to head over to the Lockwood's when a thought popped into her mind. Turning her head to see Mason, she suddenly spoke. "Have you heard from her in the past couple of days?"

Mason was confused. "Who?"

"Kat."

"Oh," he paused, suddenly uncomfortable.

"She just hasn't answered any of my calls. I'm a little worried."

"I talked to her once or twice. She's fine. Just upset, as usual."

"Oh." It was Taylor's turn to pause. "If you talk to her can you tell her I said to call? It's important."

"Sure… You know you can talk to me if you need to."

"I know, Mason," she replied. Before she walked away she pulled him into a tight hug. "Thanks for everything."

* * *

><p>"Tyler? Hello? Are you home?"<p>

Taylor stood at the front door of the Lockwood mansion, her hand lowering from the door she'd just knocked on. No one was answering. Using her instincts she closed her eyes, listening to the conversations going on inside.

"_She fell,"_ she heard Tyler's worried voice shout from inside.

Having been invited in by Mrs. Lockwood, she rushed in, using her speed to get to the stairs in a few seconds.

"What happened?"

"Taylor?" Tyler's surprised voice called from the bottom of the stairs.

"You _pushed_ me," Sarah's voice whined.

"It was an accident," Jeremy's voice interrupted, causing Taylor to raise an eyebrow.

Something was going on. It seemed too coincidental that Jeremy was with Tyler, when the last time she checked they weren't on speaking terms. Let alone the dreadful feeling she got at the thought that if Sarah had died, the curse would have been triggered.

Once Sarah was back on her feet and walking toward the drinks with Aimee, Tyler walked up to Taylor and whispered, "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you."

"You're not my mother," he snapped, on edge.

"Obviously not," Taylor replied, letting his attitude roll off easily. "You don't usually date your sons."

"Can we not get into this right now," Jeremy piped in, sharing glances between their group and the two girls.

"Whatever," she snapped, peeved. You try and help someone and that was the type of thanks you get in return. "I was _just_ trying to help out."

"I don't need help."

"Oh don't give me that shit! I saw that look on your face, Tyler. You were scared."

"You were seeing things," he argued, taking on a defensive tone. He crossed his arms across his chest and leaned in feigned calmness against the stair railing. Of all the times to be stubborn he had to choose now. Why she had gone out with him she couldn't remember.

"_Fine_," she hissed, turning towards the door. "But I tried to help. Tell Mason to call me when he gets home. See you later, Jer."

With an aggravated sigh the young girl turned, disappearing before the two girls could turn from their drink and notice. It took her less than five minutes to reach the boarding house. The second she stepped on the porch she froze. Why had she gone there instead of home? She supposed it was because she'd spent so much time there it felt like home. Maybe it was because she knew Elena would be there and she needed to vent. But Damon was there too. That alone made her want to turn.

But one guy was _not_ going to keep her from doing what she wanted to do.

"Elena? Stefan?" Taylor asked as she walked into the house. Surprisingly, she was met with the smell of _blood_.

"What's going on? Why do I smell blood?"

Taylor followed the smell down the stairs and into the basement, where Katherine had been locked not to long ago. The smell, confusing her, led to one of the doors where Caroline's mother sat, a sad and hopeless look on her face.

"What's going on," she asked Caroline, who stood by the door frozen.

The blond didn't answer. She turned and walked up the stairs, leaving a suitcase at the entrance to the room.

Damon, irritated that Taylor refused to talk to him, said, "Your dog almost got us killed."

"What?"

"Mason. He got the sheriff here to launch an attack on Stefan and me. Caroline saved us."

In a flash she stood in front of the sheriff with anger written plainly on her features. "Is that true?"

The sheriff looked up with surprisingly strong eyes. "Yes."

Taylor turned and walked out, past Damon, stopping while the sheriff could still see her. "You know," she called back, not bothering to turn around. "You should really treasure your daughter. You aren't going to get another Caroline."

"She's not my daughter any more."

"_Bullshit_," Taylor hissed. People could be so entirely stupid. "She is and always will be the same Caroline you remember. She hasn't changed, Mrs. Forbes. You just need to get over your delusion and realize that you have a daughter that loves you and wants you to love her."

"Taylor," she sputtered out, standing.

"I'm out of here."

"Where are you going," Damon's concerned voice cut through her calm façade. She tensed, her shoulders stiffening.

"I'm going to find Mason and figure out what the hell is going on."

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter! It was a doozy. Following the series is a lot of work! Haha. Next chapter is going to be EPIC. Come back for the drama!<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: A Thousand Years

Chapter 10:  
><span>A Thousand Years<span>

* * *

><p><em>Chicago, 2009, Early Fall<em>

"_Here doggy, here boy! Come here! Be a good boy now!" _

_A newly turned Taylor Gilbert stood partially bent forward, clapping her hands against her knees with a giant grin plastered on her face. Her eyes twinkled mischievously and lit her face in the cold fall night. With her back to her house the decently sized back yard lay open. The wind blew a cold breeze through the night and would have given the girl a chill had things been normal._

"_I'm not coming."_

"_Oh come _on_, Mason," she begged. The young girl returned to a standing position, her body leaning slightly to the right and her arms crossed stubbornly across her chest. "Katherine told you to watch me."_

"_And I'm watching," the charming young man replied, sitting on the grass, leaning back with his hands supporting himself. _

"_May-son," she dragged out, her lip jutting out in a pout. "Humor me. I'm a very bored, newly turned vampire trying to direct my energy on something other than the thought of blood."_

_With a heavy and exaggerated sigh, Mason stood. "_Fine._ What do you want to do?"_

_The young girl stopped to think for a second before an excited squeal left her lips. "Catch me!"_

_Mason was confused._

"_Aren't you a little _old_ for that?"_

"_No," she huffed. "I'm only seventeen. _You're_ the old one. Afraid you can't catch me?"_

_He didn't want to give in, but he accepted the challenge, always willing to give into her games in the end. They were always like that. Like a sister and a brother – always playing and always enjoying each others company. Quickly, the vampire disappeared, appearing seconds later behind his ear._

"_Got you."_

"_That's cheating," the man argued just as she disappeared again. "Using your vampire speed."_

"_Fine then," the brunette smiled, stopping on the other side of the yard. She placed her hands on her hips and smirked confidently. "I don't need them. You're too slow anyway!"_

_She laughed, her eyes widening and a surprised yelp escaping her lips as Mason rushed across the yard and wrapped his arms around her waist just as she turned to run. He lifted the young girl easily, as if she weighed nothing at all. Taylor laughed, kicking her legs in a feigned attempt to get free. _

Mystic Falls, 2010

Taylor Gilbert sighed. She was aggravated. She was confused. She was a little bit worried.

The young vampire sat, legs crossed, on the grass of the Lockwood's yard where she had been sitting for the past half hour. She'd tried calling Mason more than she could remember and it always went straight to voicemail. She'd considered going into the house but she knew he wasn't there. The vampire had already listened – her ears had picked up Tyler and his mom, but that was it. Mason was somewhere else.

Dialing his number, Taylor waited until his voice mail came up once more before she began to speak. "Mason, it's me Taylor. I really need to talk to you. I don't know what's going on but I need to know. Did you really attack the Salvatore brothers? And have you talked to Katherine? I'm really… lost here, Mason," she whispered into the phone, near the point of breaking down. "_Please_ call me."

Taylor hung up the phone feeling worse than she had an hour ago and slightly pathetic. Everything was spiraling out of control – she couldn't do anything more than sit back and watch. Elena was in danger, Katherine and Mason were nowhere to be found, she was on the outs with Damon, and Klaus could come and take her away at any moment. The reason she'd left Mystic Falls in the first place had been to set everything straight – to make her life normal, free from the terrifying nightmares that had plagued her nights. And though the nightmares had long since stopped it seemed that her life would never again be _normal_.

Defeated and out of what little hope she had, the young girl began walking home. Her dark brown hair blew in the wind and the cold breeze filled the space around her, but she was far from as happy as she'd been in the cold night she'd remembered spending with Mason.

The walk home felt short, though she had walked the entire way in a very slow pace. The Gilbert house was silent – the two heartbeats were calm and slow, they were sleeping. Elena was probably sleeping over at the boarding house with Stefan, which meant Taylor would have the night to herself.

Using her speed, she rushed up the stairs and changed into a pair of sweats and an old t-shirt she'd borrowed from Elena a long time ago. As soon as her head hit the pillow her eyes began to flutter shut and she welcomed the peacefulness and the numbness that sleep brought.

* * *

><p>"<em>Niklaus," a soft and almost blissful voice cooed. <em>

_It was that of a young girl. She was young, around the age of seventeen, and her porcelain like features gazed up into the blue eyes of Klaus. She lay in his arms, covered in a soft white sheet. Her blond hair was spread across her back and her bright green eyes sparkled._

"_Yes, my dear?"_

"_I'm happy you came back." _

_The hybrid nodded, softly stroking her cheek. It hadn't been a hard decision to return – she'd been too much of a luring presence to stay away. It had been something entirely new to the hybrid: to be overpowered by emotions for one human was odd, but worth it. For her._

"_I would never leave you."_

_The next words slipped from her mouth before she could stop them, "I love you, Klaus." _

_A blush rose to her cheeks. She buried her head into his chest, anxiously waiting for his reply. It only made her worry more when she was met with silence. After a few minutes passed, curiosity got the better of her and her head slowly rose to find Klaus holding a single white rose. She gasped, bright green eyes wide._

"_Oh my, it's beautiful."_

_Still, he said nothing. Klaus waited, looking expectantly at the girl before him. The one girl he loved more than anything in the world. Noticing the expectant look in his eyes, the young girl looked back to the rose, her eyes traveling down the stem. Her gaze stopped with a gasp. There, at the bottom of the stem resting on his hand, was a beautiful ring._

"_Klaus?"_

"_My dear Scarlet, would you do me the honor of marrying me?"_

_Scarlet's surprised and tear filled eyes stared awestruck into Klaus' blue orbs. He smiled encouragingly, though she could see the hint of nervousness in him that she rarely glimpsed. A grin broke out on her features as an unexplainable joy burst through her being. Her words failed her. She tried to say yes but nothing came out. Instead, she wrapped her arms tightly around the man she would soon call her husband. _

_...__  
><em>

_The young girl, Scarlet, let out a frightened yelp as a hand roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her behind a door in the hallways of Klaus' home. A struggle ensued and stopped only when the blond caught sight of the perpetrator – an old woman. The very woman she had seen wandering the grounds the day before. The one she had thought nothing of._

"_You? I've seen you walking about outside!"_

"_And you are the only one."_

_The words confused her. "What do you mean?"_

_The old woman laughed, the wrinkles on her face contorting into an ugly image, causing Scarlet to cringe. The young girl's eyes searched the empty room for any sign of escape, but it seemed futile. A fragile girl, she knew there was little hope of running away. _

"Magic_," the woman replied. _

_Had the situation differed, she would have laughed. "Magic? I don't… It doesn't matter. You need to leave," she insisted, making a move for the door all the while hoping the woman would buy her act of bravery. _

_As luck would have it, the woman reached her rough hand out and gripped the girl by her arm. _

"_You must leave him."_

_Scarlet's eyes widened. "Leave who?"_

"_Klaus."_

_If she was scared before, she was terrified now. Scarlet did not know everything about the man she loved, she knew there were secrets, but what she was sure of was the danger that being with him caused. _

"_No," she hissed. "You are the one that must leave!"_

"_You are foolish," the woman – the witch – snapped, just as Scarlet pulled her arm free. "And you will pay for you foolishness. I tried to spare you because of what you are but I have no other choice."_

"_What I am? I'm human!"_

_The witch was not deterred with her interruption. Her eyes hardened on the young girl and her mouth uttered foreign words that sounded oddly familiar to the blond. A horrified gasp left the young girl, her hand shooting to her hip. A burning sensation tore through her senses. It felt like getting branded, she imagined. _

_A burning fire engulfed her senses for seconds longer before it stopped, as abruptly as it had come. Scarlet lifted the hem of her sleeping clothes with a shaky hand, nearly feinting at the sight before her. There, burned into her hip, was an insignia. She knew not what it mean but had the strongest feeling that it was from the woman._

"_W-what did you _do_?"_

"_You refused to listen to me and you have been cursed for you naivety. You did not want to leave your precious Klaus. He wishes to posses something that has been kept from him for many years to protect the people of this earth."_

"_What are you talking about," Scarlet asked, worried for her safety as well as that of her fiancé. "If you're talking about him being a vampire, then I already know that!"_

"_I'm speaking about his being a _hybrid_."_

"_Then what does he want," she pressed, more confused than she had been in the first place._

"_He wants to fully be, but I will not let that happen. The symbol that I burned on you will transform you. It will change your appearance and make you forget who you truly are. In time you will remember, but by then you should have enough sense to do what I told you."_

_The witch stepped forward causing Scarlet to take one back. Her words seemed to humor the lady. "What do you mean, in time?"_

"_You will be reborn, until the day comes that you fulfill what I have asked of you. There will be more than one, but your blood shall be the true cure."_

"_My blood?" _

_The witch ignored her comment. With a swift movement, unpredicted by the young girl, the old lady thrust her hand forward. The words that were beginning to come out of Scarlet's mouth sputtered out in a mumbled mess. Her eyes fell to her stomach where the woman had stuck a knife she had been hiding. _

_Blood dripped from her wound quickly and she found herself falling to the floor, the lack of blood making it difficult to move. _

"_Remember, this is because of Klaus," the old woman hissed, before turning her back on the dying girl and disappearing._

* * *

><p>Taylor woke with a start, jumping out of bed, her heart beating faster than she could remember it ever beating. An instant panic set in. The dream had felt too <em>real<em> for her liking. Just like the dreams of Katherine she'd had before. Shakily, her hand reached down and pulled up her shirt to reveal a scar she'd had since she'd been born.

An insignia of some sort that no one had been able to figure out.

The very one the witch had burned onto Scarlet in her dream.

But the reality of Taylor being Scarlet was too… too far fetched to be true. How could she be Scarlet? She was born as Elena's twins sister, older by a few minutes. There was no way she could have been born centuries and centuries ago, let alone have been in _love_ with Klaus. Still, the confusion was strong. If she was not Scarlet after all, then why was she having these dreams? Taylor wondered if there was any way she could find out the truth.

The only thing that came to mind was to talk to Klaus – but she didn't trust a word that came out of his mouth.

Shaken, Taylor dragged herself out of her room. Hoping that Stefan or Elena could help her calm her nerves, she headed toward the boarding house, walking at a leisurely pace. The closer she got to the Salvatore's house, the more the worried and unsure feeling in the pit of her stomach grew. By the time she reached their door, that swung slowly open as she pushed it, she felt close to turning back around.

"Elena? Are you and Stefan here?"

There was a shuffling of feet. Before she had even shut the door, Jeremy came into view.

"Jer? What the heck are you doing here?"

"Taylor, you should go home."

"What? Why? What's going on?"

Jeremy's sudden actions – his desire to get her away – only caused the stubbornness in her to push past him, rushing into the living room where the strong smell of blood nearly knocked her down. The sight that met her caused her jaw to drop and her heart to race, her body shaking with anger. Mason – her Mason – was tied to a chair, open wounds bleeding dangerously with the smell of what she recognized as wolf's bane in the air. Damon, who hadn't noticed her presence, too absorbed in his plan, continued on.

Taylor expected Mason to cry out for her – to cast Damon's attention in her direction and cause him to stop with the torture he was doing. Instead, he remained silent, his eyes telling her that he was sorry – for what, she didn't know. She stepped forward. Before she could reach him Damon lunged his hand forward, plunging it deep into Mason's chest, ripping his heart out.

Taylor's voice ripped through the silence in the air, forcing Damon to snap his head in her direction.

"_No!"_

The vampire rushed across the room, ignoring the pleading of her brother to stay where she was, and ignoring the look that Damon gave – one filled with guilt. The second she reached her friend; she kneeled at his side, tears streaming down her cheeks violently.

"_Mason! Mason! N-no – this can't be happening. You're not dead, Mason!" _Taylor stuttered and mumbled, her hands gripping his shoulders, shaking him in the hope that something would happen. Of course, nothing did, but it didn't stop the girl from trying.

"Taylor," Damon's unsure voice called out, his hand extending to touch her arm. "We had to do it," he tried to reason.

"_You," _Taylor hissed, her body going tense.

The young vampire stood, her body snapping to face the man who had gone from being the one she loved to the one she hated in such a short time. Her eyes darkened, the browns of her eyes appearing black, and she uttered words in the same language she had in her dream. Damon let out a surprised gasp, grabbing at his abdomen in different places. Quickly, blood began seeping from his shirt, soaking the floor beneath him.

"Taylor," Jeremy shouted, running up to her and shaking her shoulders, trying to break her from the spell.

"Stop it, Jeremy!"

"You need to stop, Taylor!"

"I'm not going to kill him, if that's what you're worried about," she hissed, stopping her spell, letting his body heal the many wounds she'd inflicted. And truthfully, she wasn't. She still loved him. No matter how much she _hated_ him, she didn't have it in her to kill him.

With a pain filled and angry expression on her face, she turned and made her way to the door. Damon, partially healed, called out to her.

"Wait! Let me explain, Taylor."

"No!" She hissed, not bothering to turn around. Her voice was cold and distant, a tone in which she had never spoken to him with. "I don't want to hear your bullshit. Not anymore. I'm done, Damon. Done. And you can't fix this."

* * *

><p><em>Another chapter! Now Damon really <em>is_ on the outs with Taylor. And that dream/vision? What do you think? Do you think Taylor is just going to let Mason's death end like that?  
><em>


	11. Chapter 11: Tension, Anger & Fear

Chapter 11:  
><span>Tension, Anger &amp; Fear<span>

* * *

><p>It felt like the end of the world.<p>

Like every emotion of every person she'd ever hurt was thrust upon her, intensify with every passing second.

It was late into the afternoon – a day after Mason's death, the one that Damon had such a chilling part of. The vampire could still see it perfectly every time her eyes closed – Damon's words, his hand reaching out, and Mason's lifeless body limp in the chair. No matter what she did or how hard she tried she couldn't bring herself to shut it out.

Katherine had told her many times that the best part of being a vampire was turning it off. Turning off all the emotions that dragged humans down – the hope, the fear, the anger, and the sadness. Just let it all fall away. But Taylor knew it wasn't what she wanted to do. Even Katherine never completely shut it off – she just made it seem that way.

But it was still a thought running wild in her mind.

"Taylor?" Elena's voice rang through the room.

She'd been trying for hours to get her sister to talk – to do anything other than stare at the other side of the wall.

She was met with no response.

"I'll be home all night. I'm not going to the ball tonight," she continued, walking in and sitting on the bed next to Taylor. "The one at the Lockwood's."

Finally acknowledging her presence, Taylor glanced up. "What ever you guys are planning leave Tyler out of it. Don't get him involved."

Those weren't the words that Elena expected her to mutter. They weren't planning anything. At least, not that she knew of. Still, she'd expected her sister to say something angry or sad. Something about Damon, most likely, but Tyler? Confusion knit its way onto her face. "Tyler? Tay, what's going on between you two?"

Upset at her sister's accusation, Taylor sprang from her bed, crossing the room in seconds. She leaned against the wall, her eyes set in a glare. "_Nothing_," she snapped. "Just keep him out of it. No one else has to be involved in this."

It was no secret that she and Tyler had dated. Everyone knew. And everyone knew that they'd never really broken it off. Taylor had just sort of left, leaving a note behind for the boy as an explanation. There were definitely still feelings there. All the people in town assumed so anyway.

But there was more to it than that. Taylor felt it was the least she could do for Mason, who would have wanted his nephew as far away from the mystical creatures of Mystic Falls and away from the curse that could ruin his life. She needed to keep Tyler safe – for Mason and for _herself_.

"Involved in what? Taylor, why are you so worried about Tyler?"

But Elena was met with no response again. Her sister had shut her out just as quickly as she had let her in.

Taylor waited until her sister left before she crossed the room. She stopped at the window, resting her head against the cool glass with her eyes shut.

It was too much! At any moment Klaus could come walking down the street towards her house and demand her to leave with him. There wouldn't be much she could do to escape. She'd gotten away once, but that was because of luck and with help. Besides, if Klaus were to show up, she might have taken his offer to leave. Damon killing Mason, added to the stress of him _trying_ to kill Jeremy – who now seemed to be on his side – made Taylor feel fragile. She was a porcelain doll sitting on the edge of a shelf and she's about to fall to the floor, where she'll break into a million unfix-able pieces.

Things were supposed to get better. That was why she left her family, her friends, and Tyler behind to find Katherine. It seems that everything that's happened since that fateful night in Chicago has been worse than she could have ever imagined.

Getting nowhere with her train of thoughts, Taylor retreated to her bed once again. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, her eyes never leaving the spot on the wall directly across her.

* * *

><p>Something was going to happen.<p>

There was no other way to explain knowing besides magic.

Taylor stood on the edge of the Lockwood mansion, hiding from the guests and the music and the _happiness_ in the forest as her eyes scanned the area. Everything seemed normal: people were laughing, getting drunk and falling all over each other. But there was something, something _different_ about the night that had dragged her out of her bed.

Closing her eyes, she focused all of her attention and her powers on the people inside. She searched for anything out of the ordinary. Then her ears caught it: the tail-end of a conversation.

"_Stefan and Damon want to talk to you…"_ It was Jeremy's voice! Who was he talking to?

"_Oh?"_ is the response. The girl's voice is strong and certain and Taylor instantly knows its Katherine.

There's the sound of footsteps walking away and Taylor let's out a cry of _no_ before she's running. She can still hear Jeremy and now Elena, who is asking him _what's going on_. But she doesn't need to hear him to understand. If Stefan and Damon wanted _talk_ to Katherine it meant they had something they could use to kill her. A sharp pain shot through her at the thought: first Mason and then Katherine.

When she finally reached the two, Katherine was nowhere to be found.

"Where did she go?" Taylor demanded, grabbing the attention of the group, who were huddled around a small table on the lawn.

Jeremy, Elena and Bonnie – who must have joined them as Taylor ran over – stared at her in shock. The girl had barely said a word to anyone since Damon ripped Mason's chest from his heart and yet she stood before them, speaking of her own will.

"_Where is she going,"_ the vampire hissed, her eyes hardening into glares.

"It's probably too late. By now she-"

Before Jeremy could finish his sentence, Elena let out an agonizing scream. Blood is pooling from her back. It's soaking her shirt and dripping down at an alarmingly fast rate. Despite all the anger and hatred she felt, Taylor was by Elena's side in a second, her arms encircling her sister.

"What's happening to her?" Taylor demanded, ignoring the burning at the back of her throat.

"It's a spell," Bonnie shouted frantically. "Jeremy, you have to tell them to stop. Whatever happens to Katherine is happening to Elena!"

Without a second thought, Jeremy rushed across the lawn, going as fast as he could to stop the Salvatore's from killing his sister. Taylor was conflicted. Her gaze drifted from her sister, who was hunched over in pain, to her brothers disappearing figure. She was _not_ going to be left out of this, she decided as she stood.

"Bonnie, take care of Elena."

And she disappeared, running after her brother in the most human speed she could manage. Nothing fazed her as she pushed through the crowds of people to get to the stairs. She received many glares but they didn't bother her. When she found him, upstairs in the Lockwood mansion, she rushed near him, but stayed far enough to remain from the sight of those in the room, in just enough time to hear Jeremy's warning.

"_Stop!_ Whatever you're doing to Katherine is happening to Elena!"

"You aren't the _only_ ones with a witch, you know. And something tells me _mine_ is better than _yours_."

Taylor's eyes closed as she leaned back against the wall for support. Katherine was being the very Katherine that the Salvatore's tried to warn her about. Still, somewhere in her was the friend that Taylor knew. But she couldn't move from her spot against the wall, hidden in the shadows, to do anything. And it was because going into that room meant facing Damon. That was something she didn't want to do for a long time.

Jeremy's retreating steps broke her from her fear. She watched as he ran back down the stairs, probably to Elena and Bonnie. They would handle the witch, but who would handle Katherine? The second they found out the spell was broken they'd kill her. If they did, Taylor knew a part of her would die.

Damon's angry voice snapped through the silence. "I can't wait to kill you when this spell is lifted."

"No."

Taylor's voice was surprisingly strong and commanding as she stepped into the light of the room, walking through the doorway, knowing she wouldn't be able to leave. Stefan and Damon turned to face her with wide eyes. Instantly, regret flooded Damon's face, but Taylor ignored him. It was hard and she struggled to keep herself from running into his arms and breaking into tears, but she did. Instead she walked over to Katherine's side.

"You are _not_ going to hurt her."

"Taylor," Stefan's even voice tried to reason. "This has to end."

"I've had _enough_ of this ending shit! If you want to kill _another_ person that I love then you're going to have to kill me first."

"Tay–" Damon began, but she stopped him.

"Don't. I'm not here to talk to _you_. I'm here for Katherine and Elena – to keep them safe. Once they're safe, I'm leaving."

"But –"

"_Don't talk to me, Damon_," Taylor snapped. Her face hardened in a glare with her hands bunched at her sides in fists. The anger that radiated off her body was strong. It took all her strength to keep from lunging at the older Salvatore. "You killed Mason without a second thought. You didn't even consider how it would _hurt_ me. You didn't care. You're so _selfish_. Nothing will ever be more important to you than yourself!"

In all the rage she unleashed, Taylor found herself needing to take a seat on one of the couches in the room. As she fell to the couch, Katherine rushed to her side with a genuine worry creased into her features.

"Taylor? What's wrong?"

"I…" But she didn't know what was wrong. Everything was blurry and her eyes were heavy. Before long she could no longer keep them open. She soon drifted off into darkness, falling into another dream like state that felt all too real.

* * *

><p><em>Klaus and Scarlet stood hand in hand. The young girl looked around nervously. They were standing in the living room area of her love's brother's house. It was large, but not quite as big as Klaus', with a Victorian theme running through it. She had never been to his families' houses. The only family she had met had been Rebekah, who often spent time with her at Klaus' mansion.<em>

"_There you are brother." Klaus' voice broke through the silence. _

_Scarlet snapped her head in the direction of his gaze, her blond hair falling in front of her face. She tucked the loose strands behind her ears, her green eyes landing on the man she assumed was his brother. _

"_Klaus! To what do I owe this meeting?"_

_His eyes flickered to the young woman by his brother's side. She nearly jumped at the _lust _in his eyes. Elijah – Klaus's brother. The two were close, as close as someone could get to Klaus. Scarlet knew this as she watched them interact. Yet, nothing quite phased her mind as they talked like the look in Elijah's eyes when he glanced at her. It worried her. The vampire's gaze filled her with fear at the intensity of the interest they held. Somehow Klaus didn't notice or he didn't show that he did._

_Finally, as she began to pay attention to their words, her interest spiked._

"_So what have you truly come here for, Klaus?"_

_Elijah's words cause Klaus to laugh – genuinely, as he often did around Scarlet._

"_You know me too well brother. I'm set to leave for a few days. The trip will not be safe for my dear Scarlet and I was wondering if you could let her stay here and keep an eye out for her. Rebekah has gladly agreed to come over and help."_

_Scarlet's green eyes widened. "Klaus!"_

_He turned to her with expectant eyes but she couldn't speak. She couldn't very well say that the thought of being alone in a house with Elijah scared her. She couldn't say that the look in his eyes betrayed that he wasn't the kind brother anymore, that he looked at her like he wanted her for _himself_. _

_Instead, she said, "Why can't I come with you?"_

"_Because it's dangerous," he answered. "Because I said so."_

_Scarlet clamped her mouth shut. She would not be going on the trip with him. She would have to worry about him. She'd have to worry about herself – she was spending the next few days with _Elijah_._

* * *

><p>Taylor woke with a start, a very real fear filling her being. She sat up, her eyes scanned the room. It was the same room she'd fainted in, but it was empty. Where had the other's gone? Her body filled with dread. Where was Katherine? If Damon had his say in it, she would already be dead and gone. Just like Mason.<p>

A growl escaped her lips as she rushed through the door.

The crowd was thinning out. The party must have been nearing its end. Tail ends of conversations caught her ears. She listened, though she quickly tuned them out when she realized they were not important. Finally, as she exited the Lockwood mansion, unaware of the events unraveling for Tyler, her eyes caught sight of Elena.

As quickly as she could with people watching, the young vampire rushed to her sister's side. "Elena," she called as she neared, effectively stopping her sister.

"Are you okay, Taylor? Stefan said you passed out. He was just going back to the room to get you."

The twins were walking now, headed towards Elena's car. They spoke quietly. "I… I have to tell you something, 'Lena. I've been having these dreams."

The younger Gilbert sister raised a curious eyebrow. "Dreams? Like the Katherine ones?"

Taylor nodded her head, suddenly unsure about telling her. Saying it out loud made it all the more real. "It's always about a girl. She's our height and our age. She has light blond hair and bright green eyes. Her names Scarlet."

"_And,"_ Elena pressed as the car finally came into view.

The young vampire crossed her arms across her chest. Her face showed uncertainty and fear – an emotion that she despised. "And I think I'm her, Elena. She has the same scar…. But that's not the scariest part."

They finally reached their destination. They stood at the driver's side, obscured by the car from anyone at the party. The wind blew around them harshly, as if knowing they were trying to be quiet.

Elena cautiously asked, "Then what is?"

"Scarlet was engaged to Klaus."

Her sister gasped, eyes widened. For a few seconds her mouth opened and closed before she could speak. "Do you really think you're Scarlet, Tay?"

Taylor nodded her head. There was no other way to explain the intensity in her dreams or the coincidence that they share the same scar. And they way she felt everything like it was real every time she had a dream.

"Do you think Klaus knows?"

The vampire was about to respond when a noise caught her attention. She snapped her head to her right. Her eyes focused in on two figures. The adrenaline in her kicked in and she pushed Elena to run. Her sister stumbled, gripping the car for support, but she didn't run. Not until she heard her sister shout: "Get out of here, Elena!"

But it was too late. Taylor fell to the floor, a needle that had been full of vervain sticking from her back. A masked figure grabbed her body, picking her up like a feather, as the second figure rushed at Elena, who barely managed a scream before she was knocked out.

* * *

><p><strong><em>H<em>**_ello_ _everyone! I know it's been a while. I've been a bit stuck on this. I hope you like this chapter. The next chapter should be fun! Elijah will come into the story, as well as Rose and Trevor. Taylor will definitely recognize Elijah. It's going to be a very dramatic encounter and Taylor is going to remember more as Scarlet - which is always fun!_

_Let me know what you guys thought! Also, why do you think Scarlet/Taylor fears Elijah so much?_


	12. Chapter 12: An Interesting Turn of Event

Chapter 12:  
><span>An Interesting Turn of Events<span>

* * *

><p>"<em>Taylor,"<em> a voice cried desperately. "_Taylor!"_

Slowly waking from her vervain induced sleep, Taylor could vaguely make out the sound of her worried sister. She was moving and was sure Elena was too, but she couldn't make out what it was – or whom it was – that was moving her.

"Shut up," a voice hissed, annoyed.

More jostling woke her in time to realize she was being thrown in the air, only to land on a rather uncomfortable couch. Awake, though slightly groggy, she turned first to her sister. Finding that apart from the wound on her arm that she'd gotten from the night before she was fine, the vampire turned her attention to their captor.

With a sudden burst of energy she leapt from the couch. Her fangs were bared and a low, threatening noise made its way from her throat as she lunged forward. Without a second thought, the man whom she had meant to attack swung his arm and flew her across the room. Taylor slammed against the wall; pieces of it fall to the ground with her. Elena shrieked, but remained on the couch knowing she'd do more harm than good.

Taylor stood once more, defiant and refusing to back down though she knew the odds of winning against the obviously much older vampire. Their captor bared his own fangs, smirking. He reminded her of Damon for a second. So ready to start a fight.

Just as she was about to lunge, a voice rang through the room.

"Enough, Trevor."

The voice belonged to a woman, obviously a vampire who was most likely as old and strong as the male. She had short black hair, spiky at the ends, and had a confidence around her that came from hundreds of years of living.

Their captor, _Trevor_, let his face return to normal as he backed away. "Buzz kill."

Elena, feeling brave, decided to speak. "What do you want with us?"

The woman was the one to answer. Trevor disappeared from sight.

"That's none of your business."

"If you think either of us are Katherine, you're wrong. My name is Elena Gilbert and that's my sister, Taylor Gilbert –"

"We know who you are," she snapped, clearly aggravated.

"Then why are you holding us? Why do you –"

Before she could finish asking another question, the woman reached forward and slapped Elena hard, sending her flying back onto the couch unconscious. Angered, Taylor made a move to lunge at the woman. Her movements were stopped the second another dart of vervain stabbed her in the arm and she fell to floor.

* * *

><p>The next time Taylor woke, she woke to the sound of hushed voices and her sister, quietly shaking her shoulders in an attempt to pull her from her sleep.<p>

"Elena?" She asked, groggily. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she insisted, pulling the vampire up. "We need to try and get out of here while they're distracted."

Taylor closed her eyes, listening. She could make out the hushed conversation the two vampires were having. They were talking about them.

"Let's go while they're talking."

Elena stood first, leading the way through the house and Taylor followed, still groggy from the vervain in her system. The closer they got, the more she and her sister could hear their conversation.

"How are they?"

"Still passed out."

"You didn't touch the human, did you?"

"No, give me some credit. Did you call him?"

"I called a contact. Now we wait. You know how this goes."

Taylor could see them now. They were worried. She could make out the wrinkles in the man's forehead as he discussed their situation. It was then that she knew – they were running from someone. And whatever they hoped to do today would somehow lead to their freedom. But she could tell that Trevor was not so sure.

Just as she was about to push Elena through the door, Trevor spoke again.

"Did you or did you not get the message to Elijah?"

A gasp escaped her lips, causing the two vampires to turn.

"There's nothing around here for miles, you won't get far," the woman, Rose as she'd gathered from their conversation, snapped.

Taylor was too consumed in her thoughts to hear what her sister was asking. She barely recognized the curious glances the two vampires were giving her. All that registered was the name Elijah she'd muttered and the immense fear that coursed through her body at the thought.

"_Elijah?"_ she sputtered.

Rose raised an eyebrow at the girl, curious. "That's what I said."

"Who is Elijah," Elena pressed.

"None of your business."

"We're not going anywhere. If you're going to keep us, you might as well tell us what we want to know!"

"Captivity made you pushy," Trevor laughed, stepping into the room. "What do you want to know?"

"Who is Elijah?"

Every time his name was uttered, a shiver ran up Taylor's spine. She felt her face contorting in fear as every second passed.

"An original."

"That's what she said. What does that mean?" Elena pushed, surprisingly brave in their situation.

"The first vampire family."

"_Mikaelson's."_ Taylor whispered, her eyes wide. She wanted nothing more than to run. If it really was Elijah coming to get them, she didn't want to wait around.

"What did you say," Rose snapped, causing Elena to jump.

"Mikaelson," Taylor spoke louder, her eyes rising to meet the surprised ones of Trevor and Rose. "Elijah's last name… Elijah and Klaus' last name."

Instantly, Rose's hand was clenched tightly around her neck. "What do you know of Elijah and Klaus?"

Taylor's eyes were wide, but not from Rose's actions. For the first time, the memories of Scarlet came without sleep. They flooded her mind, clouding the reality of what was actually going on. Rose's words fell on deaf ears as Taylor tried to make sense of what she suddenly remembered.

"_Why do you dislike Elijah so, Scarlet?"_

_Rebekah, beautiful with her long golden hair, questioned the younger girl. The two sat side by side under one of the many trees on Elijah's land. All was quiet around them – they were alone. Elijah had wandered off earlier, simply telling them he would be back soon._

_Scarlet feigned surprise, "I don't dislike Elijah, Rebekah. What would give you that idea?"_

_A giggle escaped the vampire's lips. "I can see it in your eyes when he's around."_

"_Oh."_

_Scarlet hadn't realized how obvious her distrust for the brother had been. And there was no legitimate reason behind it besides a _feeling_. _

"_Has my brother done something to you?"_

_The girl's eyes widened. "No. No, of course not. I… I just get this feeling around him. Like I shouldn't trust him."_

"_Why is that?"_

_With a shrug of her shoulders, Scarlet turned her head to her right, her eyes scanning the miles of trees that was Elijah's backyard. She couldn't very well say that she thought he wanted to take her for himself. Or that she had a feeling he was not being completely loyal to Klaus. All she could do was remain silent until Rebekah gave up, instead switching the topic and insisting on braiding the young girl's hair._

The memories shifted. The once peaceful and calm atmosphere changed. It was night now and the lights in Elijah's house had all gone out. Scarlet, for some reason, wandered the halls alone.

"_Klaus," a frightened Scarlet whispered. _

_The dark haired vampire had come back the night before and had spent the majority of the day alone with Scarlet. Yet, as night had neared he had declared that he'd had one more thing to take care of and would be back later that night. Scarlet, ever happy that he was back and worried to be a part from him again, roamed the night halls in hopes he had already come back. _

_It was to no avail. His room was empty upon her arrival. With nothing better to do, she began to make her way back to her room. Klaus would come to her when he came back. On her way back to her room, the sound of voices, not bothered to be hushed, caught her attention. They came from, she soon discovered, Rebekah's room. Curiosity got the better of her and Scarlet slowly made her way to the door, pressing her ear against it, straining to hear their conversation. _

"_Elijah, will you just answer me? Have you done something to Scarlet?"_

"_Don't be ridiculous, Rebekah. Why would I betray my own brother?"_

"_I don't know," Rebekah whispered. She sounded strained. _

_Scarlet pushed her hair behind her ear, trying to hear more clearly. Her breath came out in slow, spaced out breaths and she hoped the two vampires wouldn't hear her. _

"_I would never hurt the family." Elijah's words seemed so convincing. So much so that Scarlet almost believed him herself. _

"_But…" Rebekah started._

"_But what?"_

"_But I've been watching you," she said cautiously. "When you think I'm not. I've seen the way you look at her… You _want_ her, don't you?"_

_Elijah fell silent. For a minute, Scarlet thought the vampire had left. Then, snapping her out of her worries and nearly making her jump, a loud crash came from the room. _

"_No word of this is to reach Klaus, Rebekah," he hissed, the harshest voice she had heard from him._

_Scarlet never heard Rebekah's chocked reply. All she heard was the sound of her own soft foot steps and breath as she ran for what felt like her life, back to her room.  
><em>

* * *

><p>The sound of a knocking broke Taylor from her dream like trance and succeeded in distracting Trevor and Rose, who went to answer the door. Anxious from the memories that flooded her, she frantically turned to Elena. Had she been human, she'd be on the verge of a heart attack.<p>

"Elena, _Elena_, I can't do this… We have to – we have to get out – "

"_Taylor_," Elena interrupted, her own voice sounding frantic. "We'll be okay. I got a message. Stefan and Damon are coming."

Before the vampire could reply, before she could tell Elena about her memories and how Elijah wanted her, footsteps were heard. Soon, Rose and Elijah came into view. Taylor's voice hitched in her throat. Fear swept through her body so immensely, if she weren't standing, she would have fallen.

Elijah stepped away from Rose, taking deliberately slow steps toward the two girls. He neared Elena first, taking in a deep breath.

"She's human. You were telling the truth," he stated. His voice was ever steady.

He turned to Taylor next, stopping short when he realized she was no longer human. "She's not human."

Rose was the one to give an answer. In a surprisingly steady voice, she answered, "She was like this when we got her."

"Hmmm…"

"And there's something else."

Taylor froze. She prayed Rose would do her a life saving favor and not tell him she knew of him and Klaus. But then again, Rose was trying to save her own life – hers and Trevor's – she didn't care about Taylor.

"What is it?"

"She knew about you and Klaus."

Instantly all eyes were on her. Taylor could almost feel the intensity that radiated off of Elijah; the fear that crashed on her from Elena and not surprisingly, Trevor and Rose. But nothing hit her quite as hard as her own fear.

Her hand reached up and grabbed a few strands of hair. As the vampire twirled the hair around her finger and bit her lip, a nervous habit she'd gained over the years, she waited for the original's reply. She hoped he would dismiss it, but the word he uttered next made her stomach drop.

"_Scarlet?_"

Her eyes widened and mouth dried up. She made no reply, but she didn't miss the look in Elijah's eye. That familiar glint in his eyes, the one she'd seen him stare at Scarlet with, made her stomach churn. He knew who she really was. Nothing made her more afraid then that.

"_Well_, this is definitely an interesting turn of events," Elijah said, smiling. "Come now, we have a long journey ahead of us."

For the first time since Elijah's name had been uttered, Taylor felt a spark of strength. "No. We aren't going with you!"

"You don't have a choice. Now," he said, ignoring the young vampire, whose face scrunched together in anger. "I've got some business to take care of before we leave."

Everything that happened next was a blur. Trevor stumbled over apologies, but in the end it didn't matter. It never would with Elijah – Taylor could have told Rose that, not that she would have believed her. Elijah rolled his eyes and quickly struck his hand out across the vampire's neck. Trevor's head fell to the floor, rolling in an unpleasant heap a few feet away from the original.

A loud scream pierced the air and rose stuttered out a, "_You!"_

"Don't, now that you're free."

Rose fell silent. Elijah turned his attention to the two girls. "Come."

"No," Elena argued, trying to buy time until Damon and Stefan could arrive. "What about the moonstone?"

Taylor was confused. There it was again – something that she didn't understand because she was out of the loop. What was this moonstone and why was it so important to Elijah? Whatever it was, she could vaguely remember hearing about it somewhere, but nothing came to mind when she tried to recall it.

Elijah's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "What do you know about it?"

"I know where it is. I know you need it."

"Where is it?"

"It doesn't work that way."

The original took a step forward, his eyes narrowing down on the brown orbs of the doppelganger.

"_Don't_." Taylor hissed, stepping in between her sister and the original. "Don't you _dare_ go near my sister."

"My dear Scarlet, you don't _have_ a sister."

It unnerved her how he called her Scarlet, how he refused to realize that she was _Taylor_. It also scared her that second he mentioned that, a flare of anger shot through her. The kind of anger that filled her when someone knew something, but deliberately pretended not to.

"I had a sister and you know it, Elijah!"

Before the original could reply, the sound of breaking glass could be heard from above, as well as the whispered _'thank god' _from Taylor.

"Who is that? Is someone else in the house?"

Rose quickly shook her head. "No, I don't know what that was."

Pushing Elena to Rose, Elijah quickly moved to grab Taylor, his grip tight on her arm. He tugged her along and she stumbled, trying her hardest to resist the vampire. It was hard and she remembered that even though she was strong, she was _very_ young in terms of being a vampire. And it left her weak.

"Up here," A voice called. One that the two girls instantly recognized as Stefan. Relief flooded their systems.

What happened next was a bit of a blur to Taylor, whose attention was split between watching Elijah and trying to escape. Elijah's grip on her hand loosened and soon enough he was standing alone at the top of the stairs, leaving a confused vampire at the bottom. Taylor turned to her right to tell Elena to run, only to find herself alone. Before she could think of running herself, someone ran at her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into another room.

The vampire fought and struggled, kicking her legs around. She wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Taylor, _stop._"

It was Damon. His face was close the young vampire. His breath came out in short spurts, the effect of the events going on around them. His eyes tore into her own, and her head spun. As much as she wanted to hate him for killing Mason, for completely ignoring her feelings, her heart melted at the sight of him. All she felt was complete relief and longing.

"_Damon_," she whispered and, despite what her head told her, her heart made her irrational. She leapt forward, her arms circling tight around the vampire as she buried her head in the crook of his neck. She felt his arms wrap around her protectively.

Elijah's words broke the moment. "Excuse me. Whoever you are, you cannot beat me. Do you hear that?" There was the sound of what sounded like wood breaking. "You will not win… So, I want the girls. I want _Taylor_ and I want her now. You have three seconds. If she is not in my sight, heads _will_ roll."

Taylor's grip on Damon tightened. He shook his head to her and placed his hand softly on her cheek.

It was Elena that broke them from their thoughts.

"I'll come with you," her thoughts rang through the house, and it took all Damon had to keep Taylor from sprinting to her side. "Just don't hurt my friends."

"Is this a trick?" Elijah asked.

As Taylor peaked around the corner, her eyes watched as the man she feared so much stood before her sister, a stake in his hand.

Her sister didn't speak. She reached her hand out from her back and threw something that made Taylor think of a bomb in Elijah's face. The second it exploded, Taylor knew exactly what it was – a vervain bomb. The smell surrounded her enough to cause her eyes to burn, yet it didn't seem to bother Elijah. His skin healed and he stepped towards Elena.

Stefan appeared out of nowhere, shooting Elijah with some kind of gun, though it had no effect. Realizing that, Stefan lunged forward, tackling Elijah down the stairs. For a split second neither moved. Elijah, being the much older and stronger of the two, was up first. His eyes caught sight of Taylor, who watched from the other room with wide eyes. He moved to lunge, but before he could take a step Damon drove a stake through his heart, pushing him up against the wall, pinning him there.

Seeing the original vampire dangling, dead, Rose let out a terrified gasp and disappeared. Damon instinctively moved to follow her when Taylor's voice stopped him.

"Let her go, Damon."

He could tell she was shaken up. Her voice was unsteady and her hands shook the slightest. Turning his back to the door, he rushed to her side, his arms encircling her once again.

"It's okay now."

"It's not okay, Damon," came her whispered reply as she squeezed her eyes shut against his chest. "Nothing's ever going to be okay again."

Her response and composure worried him, but not as much as Elijah's interest in her. At least he was dead.

* * *

><p><strong>I<strong>t took a long time for me to update this, right? And I'm still not entirely pleased with it, either. I'm working on the next chapter which I hope will really be worth the wait!


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